More than Just a Redneck Asshole
by jeanf
Summary: All his life, Daryl Dixon never felt like he belonged, simply drifting through life with his brother Merle. Just existing. They left their hometown in search of something better. A fresh start. In the town of Madison, GA, Daryl gets his chance. AU NO ZOMBIES, DIXON LANGUAGE, SMUT (SLOW BURN FIRST)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**

**Hello and welcome to my first story! Something I've had in my head for a while. Hubby suggested I write and publish my story last year, but of course I didn't do it until a fanfic friend suggested it a few weeks ago. Hehehe, what can I say? Thank you to angelmoo and jaylee for their reviews and opinions of my first chapter or so and title/summary help!**

**Wish I knew how to make picture links so I can show you guys what I see in my head for the story. Little details like that make it so much better, more real I think. But alas…I am technologically challenged. **

**Remember, the story has Dixon language and will have smut. It is a slow burn so the smut won't happen ASAP. **

**Any reviews or suggestions would be much loved and appreciated! **

* * *

**Chapter 1-Madison, GA**

"Hey, Dixon! Pass me that wrench, will ya?"

Daryl huffed, stopped what he was doing, and wordlessly tossed a wrench to his co-worker, Clinton. This time, he had remembered that he was bent under the hood of a broken-down Chevy and had cautiously extricated himself first. He had learned his lesson earlier, when Clinton asked for an extra rag, glaring at the hood, as if it got him on purpose. _Damn near split_ _ma head open._ He turned back around and returned to his project. Daryl kept quiet while he worked, keeping a good pace. The others were used to him by now, having met him about six months ago when he started at the garage. His gruff demeanor and curt responses didn't really win him any new friends, but Daryl was not fazed by that at all. In fact, that was the way he preferred it. He didn't need anyone. He learned a long time ago that people were not trustworthy. He only depended on himself.

He moved out of his hometown in Clayton, to get away from his past. Daryl wanted a fresh start, a new beginning. In Clayton, the Dixons were considered to be no better than the dog shit people scraped off the bottom of their shoes. Everyone in town knew of Will Dixon and his penchant for booze, easy women, and worst of all, for beating on his kids, Daryl and his brother Merle. Teachers and kind strangers tried to intervene, but the children were too fearful of their father to implicate him in their abuse, and Will truly did cut an intimidating figure. Not only did he have a large, hulking frame, but he was also mean as a snake and extremely aggressive. So, as a result, people just turned and looked the other way.

As the years passed, Merle grew into a young version of Will, getting into booze and drugs, and spending time in and out of jail. When he wasn't in jail, he dove between the legs of any woman he could find. Daryl was ashamed of his family, his background, and most of all, himself. Somehow, it was his fault that his father beat him. He must have deserved it.

Growing up in poverty, Daryl never had much. As soon as he was able, he and Merle scraped together what little money they had and hightailed it out of Clayton, moving from town to town over the years, and then ended up in the town of Madison. Although Merle wasn't the best brother a person could have, Daryl just couldn't leave Merle behind. He was family. Blood was blood. Daryl eventually realized he couldn't escape who he was. No matter which town they drifted into, he was still Daryl Dixon. A redneck asshole with an even bigger asshole for a brother. And said bigger asshole got himself thrown in jail. AGAIN.

As Daryl worked, his ears picked up part of a conversation Clinton was having with another co-worker, George. "Yeah, my liddol brother is goin' off ta college now. He's gonna make somethin' of himself," Clinton replied proudly. "Wouldn't Old Lady Sullivan need a new farmhand when he's gone?" George asked. Daryl's interest had piqued when they stopped talking about their wives and began this new topic of conversation.

He had wanted to supplement his income since his garage job was only part-time, but he had no idea where to look. This job sounded like he had the skills for it. Daryl was not adverse to hard work. Dropping out of high school, he knew he was meant to toil with his hands. He wasn't smart enough for school. His father always said so. Merle also added in his opinion as well. Over the years, he heard how Dixons were too dumb to keep up with the other students and how they shouldn't waste their time being cooped up in school.

Daryl discreetly wandered closer to where the other two men were gossiping. He nonchalantly inquired about the farmhand position. "Old Lady Sullivan hirin'?" Daryl murmured. Both men immediately stopped talking and turned to look at Daryl, slack-jawed. In the whole time since Daryl started there, they never saw him actively initiating a conversation. Hell, never mind initiating. He didn't even participate. Mostly the man just kept to himself, shrugging or grunting at them in reply to a question. Chewing on his thumbnail, while looking at the ground, Daryl continued, "Imma lookin' fer some part-time work."

Clinton recovered quickly from his surprise. "Yeah, ma brother Patrick is leavin' for college in two weeks. He's been Mrs. Sullivan's farmhand fer 'bout four years. She only needs someone ta help her part-time, pay is pretty good, and while ya there workin', she feeds ya. Shit, her cookin' is well-known 'round these parts, 'specially the pies and cakes she makes for the church bake sales. Always fetches the highest prices," he added with a grin. Clinton offered to give Daryl her phone number so that he could ask about the job position. Daryl gave a quick, appreciative nod.

The work day dragged on and finally, it was time to close up shop. Clinton and George waved to one another and walked quickly to their own vehicles, while the boss, Dale, locked up the shop. Daryl grunted at the three other men and patted his shirt pocket, as he walked out to his truck, feeling the slip of paper with Mrs. Sullivan's contact information.

Once he got home, he showered, enjoying the feel of the hot water, and afterwards, changed into a clean pair of sleep pants and a wife beater. Even though he slept alone, he always kept a shirt on, to cover the scars that his father left him with. The old scars crisscrossed his back, as a permanent reminder of his degradation. Will always seemed to enjoy beating on Daryl, even more so after Merle left to join the army. He didn't tell anyone about his shame, not even Merle.

He was dead tired and glad he was off tomorrow, though days off never brought in money. Sucking in a breath, he flipped open his cell phone and dialed Mrs. Sullivan's number, while his stomach did a nervous flop. He really wanted that job. He really needed that job. It would help him build up his savings again. Daryl had a dream of getting his own motorcycle. He relished the freedom he had when he was cruising down the road with the wind blowing through his shaggy hair.

But that dream had constantly been placed on the backburner time and time again. He was doing all he could to support himself and his sorry-ass brother. Merle was always in-between jobs. And when he managed to find a job, he would screw up and land himself back in jail. It was up to Daryl to take responsibility for both of their livelihoods.

The phone picked up on the other end after about three rings. A soft voice with a southern drawl spoke, "Hello?" Daryl cleared his throat and asked, "Mrs. Sullivan? I'm Daryl. I work with Clinton, Patrick's older brother, at the garage and I'm callin' 'bout the farmhand job."

"Pleased to meet you, Daryl," she replied with a smile on her face, though Daryl couldn't see it. "Let me tell you what I'm looking for..."

The next day, after a meager breakfast of pickled pigs' feet and coffee, Daryl took his rusty truck out to the address he was given. Mrs. Sullivan wanted to meet him and talk to him in person. Daryl was kicking himself for being so anxious. He nibbled on a thumbnail as he went over in his head what he thought she would ask him and what he would say.

Shortly, he came to Fairbourne Road and turned right at the black mailbox that had 'Sullivan' written on the side. He looked around as he drove down the dirt road towards her farmhouse. Majestic oak trees lined both sides of the dirt road. Daryl couldn't help but admire the beauty that surrounded him. His favorite place to be was in the woods and these trees reminded him of that peaceful place. It always had a calming effect on him and he was starting to feel more at ease as he drove on. Lost in his thoughts, the two-mile drive was over rather quickly.

After a few minutes, Daryl parked his Ford and got out, closing the door behind him. The two-story farmhouse appeared to be clean and well-kept, though some areas of the soft yellow paint had weathered over the years. The house sat on a very massive piece of property, as far as he could see. A large, fragrant magnolia tree stood off to the left of the house, though his nose picked up the intoxicating scent of gardenias first. There were two good-sized trees, one on each side of the end of the walkway leading up the steps to the front porch.

When he got to the front of the house, he took a deep breath and rang the bell. The door opened a few seconds later and he found himself looking down, through the screen, into the soft, inquisitive blue eyes of Mrs. Sullivan. She smiled. "Hello Daryl. Won't you come in?" she invited, opening the screen door for him and stepping back, waving him in with a sweep of her arm.

While Mrs. Sullivan was closing both doors, Daryl took a quick look around. It looked like a typical grandmother's house. Everything looked neat and tidy and very clean. To the right, there was a comfortable-looking sofa and loveseat in the middle of the living room, a nice-sized kitchen on the left side, towards the back, and pictures of family everywhere. On his left, stood a grand dining table with matching chairs. It looked nothing like the tiny, dirty house he grew up in, with mismatched, secondhand furniture, empty beer bottles laying around, and bullet holes in the walls. Will loved to drink and parked himself on the beaten-up chair, shooting at various knickknacks around the house as target practice. Unfortunately, his aim was way off when he was drunk, which was quite frequently. Daryl wondered what it would have been like to grow up in a real family, not the fucked-up one he was dealt.

"Please, sit down," Mrs. Sullivan gestured to the plush sofa. Daryl sat, and his eyes wandered over the numerous photos that were on display on the end table closest to him. He noticed a photo of the old lady when she was much younger, posing with a man and a little girl and boy. Daryl's eyes picked up on a photo of a young man who sat on a vintage motorcycle. It looked like a vintage Harley, Daryl regarded with some envy.

Then he noticed pictures of three dark-haired little girls who appeared to be the same age. In another photo, a young lady and man were each holding babies in their arms; the woman with two while the man had one. His eyes hovered over a picture of the old lady surrounded by three beautiful girls who looked to be teenagers, and….._wait_…._shit_…._were they_…?

As if she knew what he was thinking, Mrs. Sullivan spoke. "Those girls are my granddaughters. They're triplets," she explained with a smile. "They are a little older now. That picture is from about 10 years ago. All three live out in California. I spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with them last year and the girls were just here last week for my birthday."

_T'hell I say ta that? _Daryl grunted out a reply, "That's nice."

Daryl was given a tour of the property and Mrs. Sullivan had gone over in greater detail what exactly was expected of the position. He would come in early, about 7 am and leave after supper. Mrs. Sullivan provided breakfast, lunch, and supper at the main house. There was a smaller house that was unoccupied towards the back of the property. His duties mainly consisted of heavy labor, things that she was unable to do, like chop firewood, repair the fence, paint, clean out the stable and henhouse, etc. Daryl was to help with the gardening and weeding as well. Even though it was a tiny garden, Mrs. Sullivan could use the help. It wasn't always easy for the 86-year-old woman to get up from the ground. Her land also had a few peach trees, a couple of lemon trees, and a small area where some pecan trees grew. She wouldn't be able to get up in the trees, but Daryl could.

When there was a plentiful harvest, Daryl would be delivering the extra food to her neighbors, who in turn, gave him their bounty in trade. Usually, there was more than what Mrs. Sullivan could use, so years ago, she arranged a pact with her neighbors. She would get cabbages, carrots, and broccoli from the Peters' Family down the road and they in turn would receive pecans, lemons, and peaches. Sometimes, when her hens produced a great quantity of eggs, she would give some to Mrs. Peters as well. What wasn't traded would have been canned and used up during the year. Nothing was ever wasted.

On their way to the stable, Daryl noticed they passed by a storage shed, but Mrs. Sullivan never mentioned anything about it, so he did not bother to ask. It probably wasn't anything important.

Finally, they came upon the last stop of the tour; the small stable where two horses were housed. Daryl would also be responsible for their care. The horses were too old for riding, so Daryl wouldn't need to ride them, which suited him just fine. Truth be told, he was a little wary of horses, though he appreciated their grace and form. Growing up poor, he really didn't get to experience riding and include that in his comfort zone.

Mrs. Sullivan studied the blue-eyed man before her. Daryl nibbled on his thumbnail, and growing increasingly uncomfortable with her scrutiny, began to shift his weight from foot to foot. _Now, this here's where she sees she don't want me….thinkin' of how ta get rid of me. _He stared at the ground, not wanting to see the old woman's rejection of him. His eyes narrowed and a scowl began to appear on his rugged face.

She saw something in Daryl she couldn't explain. He hadn't said much when he was here, hardly making eye contact, nodding and asking a question or two. Mrs. Sullivan had always been a great judge of character. Her gut was never wrong. She looked at the dirty man standing in front of her. This was a decent, honest man who had been through many hardships. He did not appear to be a warm person, but she saw a glimpse of the real man behind the barrier that he raised. It was his eyes. He rarely made eye contact with her, but when he did, she believed she saw into his very soul. In his eyes, she saw kindness and loyalty.

Daryl reminded her of a stray dog she came across one day, hiding under a bush, when she was leaving church. The tiny, pitiful thing was shaking so bad from fear, but he barked and snapped at her as if he were as fierce as a lion. The poor dog was trying to protect himself. After not being able to locate the owner, she kept the dog with her. Napolean became her best friend for nearly 15 years. He never left her side, except at the end, when he got sick. There was so much love he gave and she was grateful she got to share in it. Her friends told her what a wonderful person she was, to save a stray dog. But in actuality, she thought it was the other way around. That little dog saved her.

Mrs. Sullivan sensed the same kind of self-preservation in Daryl as was in her beloved friend. She decided to give him a chance.

"Do you hunt, Daryl?" she inquired.

"S'ma'am," he mumbled, wondering why the hell she wanted to know.

"This farm sits on about 20 acres of land, about 15 of it is covered in woods. You're welcome to hunt here if you'd like, when you're not working," she offered. "Two other farms sit on the border of a lake that we all share. There is plenty of fish too. My husband was the only one who was interested in hunting and fishing, but he's been long gone now," she added wistfully.

Daryl couldn't believe his ears. Did she want him to work for her? In addition to getting $600 for working 3 days a week and getting 3 meals each workday, he also had access to new hunting grounds. He could feel his trigger finger just itching to get the chance to hold his crossbow again. It had been awhile since he last hunted and even longer since he fished. His uncle Jess owned land, but it was about a 2-hour drive away, so he didn't go too often. Hunting trips were infrequent.

"So, when can you start?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

**Can't tell you what a thrill it is to see people following and favoriting and reviewing! Hehehehe!**

**Here is the OC, but Daryl won't meet her until a chapter or two later.**

**Wasn't able to PM back:**

**Millie-I'm glad you find the story interesting so far. Hope you continue to enjoy what I've got!**

**Chapter 2-Madison, GA**

The alarm clock woke Daryl from his restless slumber. It wasn't anything unusual. He was used to tossing and turning in his sleep. In his dreams, he saw his father taunting him with his belt. He felt the burn as the belt tore into his back. His mother appeared, all burnt up and with smoke still emanating from her corpse. She died in a fire that she caused, by smoking and falling asleep after drinking herself into a stupor. At the time, Daryl couldn't have been more than 8 years old, but it still haunted him to this day.

Throwing the thin blanket off of him, he plodded his way to the shower. Today was the first day of work on the old lady's farm. Patrick's last day wasn't until next week, but she wanted Daryl to start while he was still here so he could ease into the farm's routine and have Patrick show him around.

The hot water relaxed his tense muscles and Daryl relished the comfort. His rigid stance was a by-product of his childhood. Perhaps a way of protecting himself since he never knew when his father's fist would come barreling towards him, or when his father had a few choice words that sought to debase him. Daryl grew up always ready to deflect anything that caused him pain or grief. He had to be ready. It was a matter of survival.

In no time, Daryl arrived at the farmhouse and was surprised to find a young man with black framed glasses opening the door in response to his knock. "You must be Mr. Dixon! I'm Patrick," he exclaimed with eyes wide. He reached out to shake Daryl's hand. Daryl begrudgingly took it and shook it quickly before letting go. "Mrs. Sullivan's in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Come in."

Daryl followed Patrick towards the back of the house, where Mrs. Sullivan was busy frying up bacon strips. He noted the heavenly scent of sizzling bacon and sniffed the air appreciatively, not having had bacon in a while. His stomach impatiently growled, as if in anticipation of the crispy reward that was forthcoming.

"Good morning, Daryl! Make sure you boys wash up before ya'll sit at the table," she instructed. _Boys? T'hell?_ Daryl thought to himself. He was nearly 40 years old.

After washing up, both men sat down at the table and noted the huge spread before them. Patrick was used to it by now, but Daryl was speechless. He hadn't seen so much food at one time. For the three of them, the table was filled with plates of scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon. On his right, a large bowl of fruit beckoned. A pitcher of orange juice and a carafe of coffee was also placed at the table. He was annoyed when his stomach grumbled loudly a second time that morning, announcing his hunger. His heart flip-flopped when he saw the old lady coming to the table with a large plate of steaming hot biscuits and a bowl of sausage gravy. He shook his head. _Good Lord this old woman's gonna make me fat….._

As soon as Mrs. Sullivan set the plate and gravy down, Patrick's hand shot out to grab a fresh biscuit. A glare topped with one raised eyebrow aimed in his direction stopped him cold in his tracks and his hand meekly returned back to his lap. Daryl almost smirked at him. Even HE knew enough not to reach like that.

She sat down at the head of the rectangular dining table, with Daryl on her left and Patrick on her right, and lifted her hands towards the men. "Let us say Grace for this fine meal, shall we?" she asked. After they all joined hands and bowed their heads, Mrs. Sullivan began, "Dear Lord, we thank You for this food that You have graciously provided for us…" Daryl rolled his eyes. _Where was the Lord when me and Merle needed Him? My Pa sure as hell didn't do any providin'._ He was careful to keep his head bowed and kept his face hidden behind his shaggy bangs. For some reason, he didn't want Mrs. Sullivan to see him being disrespectful. He had a feeling she probably wouldn't hesitate to take a wooden spoon to his backside. Those southern grandmothers can be scary.

The first day on the farm zipped right by. There was so much to do, Daryl didn't have time to be bored. He went from one task to another. Soon, Mrs. Sullivan rang the dinner bell hanging on the back porch. Patrick put away what he was working on and stood up straight, cracking his back and sighing in satisfaction.

Daryl copied the same actions. He felt the stiffness in his back from all the heavy lifting. _Shit, Imma gettin' ta be an old man,_ he mused. He made his way towards the main house, right behind Patrick, for supper, sitting at the table after they washed up.

He saw the old lady had brought out ham sandwiches, potato chips, and tomato soup from scratch. He dug into his food as soon as she finished Grace. Washing down his meal with the last few sips of sweet tea, Daryl nodded his thanks to Mrs. Sullivan and got up from the table. He and Patrick helped carry the dirty dishes into the kitchen.

"Thank you, boys. You can set them on the counter by the sink," Mrs. Sullivan directed.

Daryl walked over to the sink area and gently placed the stack of dishes next to the sink. He couldn't help but gawk at the kitchen. _Huh, old lady's gotta fancy-ass kitchen,_ he thought to himself, as he took in the cream, black, and brown tones of the granite counters and matching backsplash. The cabinets, which were a deep walnut or mahogany, complemented the granite. Shiny stainless steel appliances shimmered in the remaining sunlight that came through the kitchen window.

Mrs. Sullivan noticed Daryl taking in the view and commented, "My granddaughters felt that I needed to update the kitchen," she chuckled. "I guess it was time. The house had the original cabinetry, which was falling apart and the old refrigerator broke down." She added, "I miss the old kitchen, but I really do love the new one. There's much more room for storage and plenty of space."

After having supper, which was so much lighter than breakfast and lunch, Daryl got his keys out of his pocket. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mrs. Sullivan walking towards him with several paper plates covered with aluminum foil. He was confused. "What's this fer?"

"Everybody gets a doggie bag or two, Daryl," she answered. "I'm one old woman. How on earth can I eat all these leftovers?" she asked innocently, with wide eyes.

He looked over at Patrick, who was greedily clutching his own plates and grinning like a fool. "There's some of that blackberry cobbler from lunch!"

"Now you take these leftovers with you, Daryl. The Good Lord does not want His bounty to go to waste, you hear?"

"S'ma'am, "Daryl replied, looking at the ground. Reluctantly, Daryl took the food with him, thanking Mrs. Sullivan on the way out to his truck. Nobody ever cared whether or not he had food before. Daryl wasn't quite sure what to make of that gesture. Truth be told, he didn't have much at home and he wasn't looking forward to another peanut butter sandwich to take to work tomorrow. Secretly, he was glad the old lady had leftovers for him, but he'd never admit it to anyone.

Through the front window, Mrs. Sullivan watched them leave. She wasn't sure at first if Daryl would take the food. She had a feeling he would not accept charity or pity from anybody. _He's_ _too skinny, _she thought, with a heavy heart. She was relieved that he did not refuse her offer. Mrs. Sullivan almost giggled out loud when he fell for her I'm-just-one-old-woman-what-can-I-do act. It was the only thing that would allow him to accept the food.

The sound of a ringing phone pulled her away from the window.

"Hello?"

"Gran? It's Livy. Is this a good time?"

"Why yes, dear," Mrs. Sullivan replied with a large smile. She always had time for her granddaughters. "Tell me what's new with you. How are you and your sisters and little Mikayla?"

Mrs. Sullivan loved her granddaughters dearly, but there seemed to be a special place in her heart for her great-granddaughter.

"Everything is good, Gran. Sammy bought a new house and the family is settling in. She tells me Mika loves the new backyard and runs around giggling to herself. Adam thinks the new house would be better suited, especially since they want to add to their family."

Mrs. Sullivan was delighted with the prospect of another great-grandchild.

"Nessie has a new boyfriend, Chris. They seem happy together. He's very nice. They're going on a mission to Kenya in October. I heard it's going be nine months this time. Ob/gyns are always in demand, especially third world countries," Olivia added.

"I got four new patients today, one of which is a Great Dane!" Olivia continued, "She's still a puppy but she looks like a miniature pony to me."

Mrs. Sullivan gave a hearty laugh.

"Are you still with Evan?"

Olivia flushed. "Yes, Gran." She knew how her grandmother felt about her new boyfriend.

In February, the girls flew in for their grandmother's birthday, surprising her. Olivia had brought Evan with her. Though they had only been together for about a month, she thought it was important for him to meet Gran.

Mrs. Sullivan loved practically everybody, but for some reason, she did not care for the young man who was with Olivia. Something did not feel right. "You be careful now, dear, you hear?"

"Yes, Gran, she sighed.

The two women spent the next hour gossiping and reminiscing, until Mrs. Sullivan yawned and decided it was time to turn in.

**1 Month Later**

Daryl stood up straight and plucked the red rag from his back pocket to wipe the sweat off his brow. _Damn, must be the hottest spring we had. The fires 'a hell are burnin' right here in Georgia. _ He felt a bead of sweat drip down his back, under his sleeveless shirt.

Hearing soft footsteps, he looked up and saw the old woman heading towards him. She had on her rubber gardening boots and a big floppy sunhat that had a pink ribbon tied under her chin. "It's important to stay hydrated in this heat, Daryl." Mrs. Sullivan added, "Otherwise, you might just collapse." She handed him the glass of sweet tea she was holding in her hand.

He nodded his thanks as he took the glass and downed it in one long gulp. "You should come in whenever you get too hot and grab something cold from the refrigerator, you hear?" She instructed.

He replied, eyes peeping out from under his bangs, "S'ma'am."

She nodded. "Your body will tell you when it needs you to stop and take a break." Mrs. Sullivan smiled and took the empty glass from him and walked back up to the house.

During the afternoon, a delivery truck pulled up to the house. Mrs. Sullivan opened the back door for the delivery men to bring in the new washer and dryer. When her granddaughters heard about the old washing machine breaking down, they bought a new set for her and were having it delivered. They did not have to do that, but the girls wanted to be sure their grandmother had what she needed.

After the men were finished setting up the new appliances, they were thanked and Mrs. Sullivan provided a tip for their service. They even took away the old set when they left, which was a big help.

Daryl found her in the kitchen, reading the instruction book when he came in to grab a glass of cold water. He walked over to the mudroom, which was right by the kitchen, to admire the new appliances. The washer and dryer were deep red in color and each were perched on top of an extra piece that gave additional height. The bottom piece also had a drawer for storage. Each appliance had a large, round glass door that swung out. Daryl had seen similar designs like this at the local Sears, so he knew these were the new high-efficiency machines. The Laundromat near his house did not have these newer models.

"Can you believe all this new-fangled technology nowadays, Daryl? Back in the day, I remember using my momma's washboard to get clothes clean. Now look at us," Mrs. Sullivan exclaimed as she was still perusing the instruction manual that came with the machines. "There's a little computer inside these machines!"

"It's a new world these days," he replied.

**3 Months Later**

Daryl drove out to Lake Oswald with a scowl. He didn't know why he agreed to go to the company picnic/BBQ. On every July 4th, the garage was closed for the holiday and Dale had a party for his employees and their families. He didn't plan on going, but Dale asked him to join everyone, and before he knew it, Clinton and George got in on it too.

_Fuck._ He hated parties. People always made small talk with you.

Merle's ass was still stuck in the county jail. Maybe Daryl just didn't feel like being alone.

With a sigh, Daryl pulled up to the area that had a sign for Dale's Auto and parked next to Luke's red truck. Luke was part-time like Daryl. Usually he worked when Daryl was not scheduled that day, unless Clinton or George were off.

After stepping out of the truck and shutting the door, Daryl went to the back and opening the cooler, grabbed the 2 pies that that Mrs. Sullivan gave him to bring to the BBQ. She had her own plans with the ladies from church. When she heard about the party, she wanted to give the boys and their families something to enjoy for dessert. _Mrs. Sullivan sure can bake._

He walked up to where everyone was.

Dale had on an apron that had 'King of the Grill' printed on the front and his usual fishermen's hat. He was talking to Irma, his wife, as he flipped the hamburger patties over. She saw him and smiled brightly, "Daryl, it's so good to see you out here with us. Sometimes it's nice to see your co-workers in a different light, away from all that work stress. Got to have fun!"

Daryl nodded in reply. "S'ma'am."

Dale noticed the pies and his eyes lit up in delight. "Did Mrs. Sullivan make those? Thank you for bringing them, and make sure to tell her we thank her as well."

Daryl nodded and grunted. "Apple 'n cherry."

He made his way to the picnic table, where Clinton and George were. He put down the pies that he had in his arms.

"Whoa Dixon, whaddya got there?" Clinton asked curiously. Rosita, his wife, came over with their two children to see what Daryl brought.

"Hi Daryl," she greeted warmly. "It's good to see you again. I only get to see you when I bring Clinton the lunch that he forgets at home," she said, looking at Clinton pointedly.

Daryl nodded.

"Kids, what do you say?" she reminded her children.

"Hi, Mr. Dixon." "Hiiiiii."

Daryl looked down. He was always more at ease with kids than adults. Kids were honest with you, while adults tended to have ulterior motives. The older child, the girl, was looking up at him with curiosity and interest. The younger toddler, who was still in diapers, was flapping his arm at him, trying to wave.

Daryl squatted, to be able to look them in the eyes. "Hi. You kids havin' fun?"

"Yeaaaah." The girl nodded, answering with a big grin, for herself and her brother, before giggling and both of them running away to play with the other children.

Daryl stood up, answering Clinton's previous question. "Mrs. Sullivan made some pies fer us, apple 'n cherry."

After about an hour, Daryl found himself sitting on the bench with the guys from the garage. Daryl inhaled the last bit of his cigarette before snuffing it out under his boot, while George and Clinton went into their pockets and pulled out a new one to light up. Luke didn't like smoking so he sat a little farther from everyone.

Daryl stood up to leave and muttered to the group, "Gonna head out now, see ya tomorrow." He nodded towards Luke who waved.

Walking over to his truck, Daryl opened the door and sat, closing the door with a soft thunk. He turned the ignition and started the drive home, thinking over what transpired that night.

He had a better time than he expected to have. Hell, it beat sitting home in front of the TV with a bowl of instant noodles. Nobody grabbed him for long, extended conversations so that worked out well. Dale was a generous host, offering hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken wings, macaroni and potato salad, beer and sodas, and 3 different kinds of chips. And to finish it all off, he had an assortment of brownies and a large red, white, and blue frosted sheet cake for dessert.

After closing and locking his front door, Daryl made his way over to his bedroom, toed off his boots and undressed. He jumped into the shower to clean himself off, since it was a hot night and his skin was sweaty.

He opened his drawer and pulled out a fresh pair of boxers, and a wife beater, and dressed quickly. Daryl set his alarm and slid under the blanket, and fell asleep, his mind still thinking over the events of party.

**2 Months Later**

Autumn was probably Daryl's favorite season. The leaves changed from mundane shades of green into radiant tones of red, yellow, and orange. The oppressive heat was gone and all that was left was a delightful coolness in the air, without it being too cold.

One winter, he remembered being 6 years old and shaking uncontrollably under his worn blanket. His father had taken the thicker comforter for himself, leaving him and Merle to share the dirty, old blanket.

Daryl huffed and tossed the remainder of the cigarette he had between his lips and snuffed it out with his heavy boot, making sure it was done on the dirt and not anywhere near flammable grass or plants. Pushing himself off the wall of the stable, he started in the direction of the farmhouse for lunch.

He also remembered that today was his birthday, not that it mattered to anyone. It was just another day. The other kids he grew up with had birthday parties. They weren't anything fancy, what with cake and pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, and kegs of beer for the grownups, but at least it was something. His parents never once acknowledged or celebrated. September 21 was just an ordinary day.

He recalled with a small smirk, when he was 9 years old, the "birthday cake" Merle got for him. The Dixon boys were out in the woods and Merle presented him with a mud cake he made out of the mud that collected after the heavy rain from the day before, and leaves that covered it like frosting. It even had 9 short sticks like candles stuck in the top. As much of a pain in the ass he was, Merle was the best brother he could have.

When Daryl walked into the kitchen through the back door, he detected an unfamiliar scent, though it smelled heavenly. He stood at the doorway after closing the screen door and letting the back door shut behind him. There, he remained. Rooted to his spot.

Mrs. Sullivan looked up and smiled. "Oh, Daryl! I didn't expect you to be finished so soon." She exclaimed. "You must be really hungry then."

His eyes took in what she was doing. In front of her, on a white glass pedestal cake stand, was a tall cake that was patiently awaiting the next dollop of rich chocolate frosting. Mrs. Sullivan stood at the counter and continued to artfully spread the frosting into peaks and swirls, humming while she worked.

Daryl swallowed thickly. All his life, he had endured endless jabs and suffered ridicule. He learned long ago not to have hope. So when things don't happen the way you wanted, then the disappointment won't hurt you.

"This is what's for dessert, Daryl. Birthday cake!" She looked at him. "Today's your birthday. Goodness gracious, did you forget?" She grinned and gave an unrestrained laugh.

"You mentioned a few days ago that it was today."

Daryl was utterly and completely speechless, as he stood in the same spot, chewing on his thumb. He was afraid of speaking, that he would lose his voice.

**Author's Note:**

**Ever since I saw that Superbowl commercial with Daryl Dixon, I knew I had to include a part of it in my fanfic. When a lady scolds Daryl for making a mess (killing zombies) after she just cleaned her house, he stands there looking sheepish. And she leaves, telling him to clean up this mess. He gives her a shy look and says, "S'ma'am."**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

**Thank you for your continuing support and reviews. Glad you guys are enjoying this story as much as I do!**

**The OC is coming soon! Yaaaaayyyy!**

**Chapter 3-Madison, GA**

**6 Months Later**

"Dear Lord, we thank You for this food that You have graciously provided for us…" Mrs. Sullivan began.

Daryl hid his smirk under his long bangs, as Mrs. Sullivan spoke. He'd heard that 3 times a day, 3 days a week over the last year. He could recite it in his sleep. Her soft, thin hand grasped his as she continued speaking.

Although her hand appeared rather dainty, he felt the strength that coursed through her veins. Mrs. Sullivan had a strong personality and stood up for things she believed in. He admired that trait in others. It took a great deal of strength to do the right thing, even if it meant that you had to go against others or stand alone. She had a code.

During one of their mealtime conversations (well, Daryl mostly listened while she talked), she told him about her time protesting in D.C. for equal rights. He was amazed that Mrs. Sullivan and her husband went through so much trouble for people they didn't know. She said that was the right thing to do, even though the other side threatened them. It was something she believed in and they stood their ground. Daryl thought of Merle and the S.S. insignia on his Triumph and had instantly felt ashamed.

The year went by quickly. It only seemed like yesterday was his first day. Patrick had gone on to college, getting ready for his second year. Daryl had to concede that a part of him did miss that enthusiastic young man. At first, his constant chatter irritated him. Then, when Patrick made a game of trying to guess his other job every time they saw each other, Daryl became amused. The corner of mouth raised up ever so slightly when Patrick looked so hopeful to have guessed correctly. He almost didn't want to tell him he was wrong.

"Do you have enough money saved up for the motorcycle you wanted, Daryl?" Mrs. Sullivan asked, while she was buttering her roll. Daryl had talked about getting a motorcycle, but hadn't been able to save up for one. She hoped he was closer to his goal. She really wanted him to succeed. He deserved some happiness in his life.

"Nah. Not yet. It's takin' a little while." Daryl's raspy voice had a tinge of frustration.

"I'm sure you'll get one soon. You seem to be a good saver." Mrs. Sullivan smiled encouragingly.

Daryl inwardly huffed. Yeah, he was a good saver, but it seemed every time Daryl managed to stash some money, life had other plans for him. Basically, he got shit on. Merle either needed bond money or had some ticket that needed to be paid. Then, his old truck needed a new part. Gritting his teeth, he recalled his dumbass self getting shot with his own arrow. He was still paying each month towards his hospital bill. Luckily, it only grazed him so the injury wasn't very severe, but the bill was outrageous.

Mrs. Sullivan, sensing Daryl's mood darkening, decided to change the subject. "Well, aren't you excited to go on your hunting trip this weekend?" The garage had been slow, so his hours were cut, and Daryl was able to work extra days at the farm, allowing him to take off for a long weekend to go hunting with Uncle Jess and Merle, which was a 4-hour roundtrip drive. Merle had been out for about a month and hunting was second on his list of things to do as soon as he had his freedom back. The first thing he did was, well….Tina.

"Yeah. I'll bring ya back some rabbit or deer, Mrs. S., just don't know what Imma gonna end up with."

"Thank you, Daryl. I appreciate you giving me some of your catch. I still have some deer in the freezer, from your last hunt. I bet I can make us a nice stew with all that deer meat," she replied with a smile.

Daryl glanced at her from under his bangs, cheeks washed with color. He nodded once, the corner of his mouth tilting up.

"It's too bad you never had the chance to meet Olivia," Mrs. Sullivan lamented. "She came out to visit that time you had to go to Covington to see about Merle. Oh, my goodness, and she was out here with the girls for my birthday in February, but that was when you injured yourself with your arrow. It's funny how the two of you keep missing each other."

She continued, "I think you would be such good friends. Out of all my granddaughters, she's the one most like me."

Daryl remembered Olivia. She was the veterinarian. All of Mrs. Sullivan's granddaughters were doctors. But he remembered Olivia the most. Her eyes were a deep green, like emeralds, or at least that's how they appeared in the photos that were placed around the house. Her hair was so dark it nearly looked black. It fell in soft waves to her waist, framing an oval-shaped face that had such creamy, smooth skin. Her smile lit up her whole face and he swore her eyes practically twinkled.

He didn't know why, but his eyes kept roaming back to her picture. There were many similarities in physical appearance between the sisters, but his observant eyes picked up on subtle differences also. Although it may be more difficult to discern one from the other in photographs, it appeared that one of the girls was slightly taller and the other had a waist that was just a tiny bit thicker. Other than that, the three women looked just about identical.

_Stop bein' a pussy, liddol brother. Ain't no woman like that gonna want a Dixon._ Merle's raspy voice intruded on his thoughts. _Stuck-up bitch used ta model 'fore she went ta college. Medical school, no less. Just suck it up and quit yer daydreamin'._

Daryl mentally shook himself. He helped Mrs. Sullivan bring the soiled lunch dishes back to the sink before he stepped outside to begin his chores. He managed to snag an extra cookie on his way out to the back porch and smirked when she saw him and scolded him, shaking her head, laughing.

Much later that day, he went to the refrigerator and poured out two glasses of lemonade. He found Mrs. Sullivan kneeling in the front yard, tending to her prized gardenias. When she saw him with the beverages, she took off her gardening gloves and placed them on the ground next to her. "Here," he handed one glass to her, as he helped her up with his now-free hand. He had offered to take care of the weeding for her, like he did everywhere else, but she insisted she wanted to care for the gardenias herself.

"Whew! Seems like it gets harder to get up every year," she laughed.

"Yeah, ya 'n me both," Daryl replied, as he rubbed his lower back.

"Oh, Daryl….if only I was 50 years younger….I could have really taken your breath away. You are quite a catch for any young lady."

A flush of red spread through his cheeks. He stood there, nibbling on his thumbnail, looking at the ground. He wasn't used to getting compliments and it still made him uneasy.

Mrs. Sullivan couldn't believe how far Daryl had come over the past year. He was still somewhat distant and kept to himself. There was a lot she didn't know about him. She knew he must be lonely. Daryl did not seem to have any friends.

He did talk about his brother Merle and what he was like. It saddened her that Merle had chosen such a path for himself. Though Daryl never talked about abuse and neglect, she was cognizant of the brothers' behavior and social interactions. Mrs. Sullivan used to be a social worker back in the day and she recognized many of the symptoms of abused children in Daryl. She blamed their parents for what their lives had become, especially Merle's, since he acted out so much more than Daryl, though she knew Daryl was must be hurting too. She hoped Merle was strong enough to change his life for the better.

At the end of the day, on his way to his truck, he once again asked Mrs. Sullivan if she was going to be okay by herself for next 5 days. "Oh, don't you worry about me, Daryl. I'll be just fine," she reassured him. "I've got the church bake sale to plan, and the ladies' book club that we do every Friday. And, oh my goodness. I'm picking up Mrs. Taylor on the way to Mrs. Alloway's for our bridge game on Saturday," she continued. "I'd bet Mrs. Fortenberry's going to be giving us the details on her daughter's wedding planning."

With a wave and a nod, Daryl headed towards his truck and hopped inside, placing the foil-covered paper plate next to him on the seat. Mrs. Sullivan insisted he take the rest of the chocolate chip cookies from lunch on his trip. She thought Merle may enjoy them on the long drive.

* * *

It was a beautiful March morning. Not a cloud in the sky. Birds sang their sweet songs above her head. Mrs. Sullivan took a deep breath, savoring the fresh air. After breakfast, she decided to clip some gardenias for the house. She loved their scent. They reminded her of her husband. He was the one who planted the gardenia trees when the house was first built.

The morning ended up being a hot one. It seemed that Mrs. Sullivan was sweating quite a bit, much more than usual. _So_ _unladylike_, she mused. She went inside to get a sip of sweet tea. Her heartburn was acting up a little more than usual, so she swallowed down some pills and went back outside.

After about an hour, she noticed pain that ran down most of her left arm. She pushed herself off her knees and sat down on the ground. _That's strange. Don't_ _remember hurting it. Must have been leaning on it too much._ When her chest starting to feel like it was squeezing her relentlessly, Mrs. Sullivan started to panic. She couldn't catch her breath, which made her panic even more. She crawled over to the magnolia tree and laid on her back, in the shade of the tree, hoping to catch her breath, but her chest just contracted even more forcefully.

She was scared, not knowing what was going on. She thought of her granddaughters. Olivia and her love of animals. Samantha who was giving her another great-grandchild, a boy this time around. With sadness, she realized she may never meet him. And Vanessa, who was in Kenya, volunteering with Doctors Without Borders. She wouldn't be back until next month. Even Daryl had popped up in her head. She thought of him with a small smile. That cute little redneck wormed his way into her heart.

She started to panic again, but then….she saw something. She forced herself to focus on the wavering image. In recognition, her eyes softened and watered as a word escaped her lips. "Henry," she whispered with a smile as she held out her hand.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

**Favorites, follows, and reviews, oh my! Thank you ever so much for all this fanfic love. It always makes me smile to see these in my inbox. (I promise I won't get a swollen ego from all this attention.)**

**Chapter 4-Madison, GA**

_Damn, Imma so dirty 'n tired_. Daryl sighed as he made his way back to Madison. A loud snore reverberated throughout the truck. He glanced over at Merle, who was snoring loudly in the seat next to him, with his head leaned back against the headrest, mouth slightly open. It was a long drive and he was looking forward to a nice hot shower. He had already cleaned the four rabbits he hunted and had the meat in plastic bags. He smiled to himself, thinking of how Mrs. Sullivan would be surprised with his catch. They had a successful hunt. In addition to a dozen rabbits, Daryl managed to bag himself a 9-point buck. The deer meat was split equally between Uncle Jess and the brothers.

Daryl pulled up into the driveway of their house. He elbowed Merle, who woke up with a snort. "Merle! Git yer lazy ass up. We're home."

"Aww, c'mon Darylina," he groaned lazily. "I was gettin' ta the best part of ma dream. Tina was just unzippin' ma jeans 'n was 'bout ta-"

"Shuddup Merle. Don't wanna hear 'bout yer damn lays," Daryl interrupted.

"When was the last time ya got laid, Daryl? Maybe then ya won't be so fuckin' uptight."

Daryl scowled at Merle and ignored him, bringing his bags and crossbow into the house, leaving Merle outside, cackling at his own humor.

When Merle got out of the Morgan County Jail, he needed a place to stay, so of course Daryl had to make room for him in his house. He was hoping Merle could help out with the cost of rent for the shabby two-bedroom house. But again, his hopes were dashed. Merle hadn't managed to hang onto a job for more than 3 weeks and now he was in-between jobs again. It was up to Daryl to carry the brunt of the responsibility.

Merle finally came in with his bags, still chortling from his stale joke. "Merle, ya know I gotta go back in ta work tomorrow mornin' at the garage, so try not ta be an ass 'n keep quiet, so I can git some sleep," Daryl requested.

"Sure thing, liddol brother. You is the big money maker now, eh?" Merle flopped down onto the chair and shut his eyes.

Daryl rolled his eyes and put away the deer and rabbit meat into the freezer. He then took his things into his room. A short while later, he came out and headed to the bathroom with some clean sleep clothes under his arm.

After a quick shower, Daryl came out refreshed and clean and ready for bed. He glanced over to the living room. Merle was still sitting in the chair with his eyes closed. Daryl shook his head and crawled into his bed.

In the morning, Daryl made himself some scrambled eggs and toast. Mrs. Sullivan's hens produced a lot of eggs last week and she made sure she gave some to Daryl. He packed a peanut butter sandwich for lunch. He was thinking of stopping by after work to drop off the rabbit meat, but decided to just make the delivery tomorrow. Since he worked extra hours before his trip, he was ahead of what needed to be done and wasn't due back there until 3 days later.

Daryl also needed to pick up his pay from last week. Pay day was during the time he was gone. Mrs. Sullivan offered to give him his money early, before he left, but he insisted he could wait until he got back. He knew she liked to organize herself by a set schedule so he didn't want to throw her off course. Anyway, he managed to save up quite a bit and he wasn't hurting for money like he was when he first moved to Madison; he could wait a few days.

The drive to the garage was only about 20 minutes. Their house wasn't too far away from town, though Daryl would have preferred a quieter neighborhood. At least the development was nestled amongst the trees, giving it a woodsy feel.

Once he stepped into the garage, he grunted a greeting to Clinton and George, the only full-time employees, on his way to the employee break room, to drop off his lunch. He quickly checked in with Dale for his workload for the day.

He knocked at the office door, waiting for acknowledgement. After a few seconds, he heard Dale's invitation. "Come in."

Daryl turned the doorknob and pushed open the door, walking into the office and closing the door behind him.

"Good morning, Daryl," Dale smiled in greeting.

"Mornin'," Daryl reciprocated.

"Would you be able to work on the blue Ford first? I think you are the only one here who has the patience to be able to figure that thing out."

Daryl nodded and replied in his usual raspy voice. "Yeah, on it now."

Dale watched Daryl as he left his office. He noticed quite a change in the young man since he first started about 1 ½ years ago. Although he still kept to himself and he still wasn't much for conversation, there was something definitely different about Daryl. A ghost of a smile would appear from time to time on his face when he was amused. He made more effort in communicating with others and there was more eye contact during conversations. Early on, he hardly looked people in the eye and he was always so serious. Dale was glad that Daryl managed to relax a bit and let go of some of the burden he constantly carried on his shoulders.

Having worked with him, Dale discerned that Daryl was quick to learn, and he had a great mind for mechanical matters. Not only did he have the patience for figuring out machines, he also liked learning. Out of all the other employees, Dale thought Daryl was best suited for working on the blue Ford.

Dale also noticed that Daryl had filled out since he first started at Mrs. Sullivan's farm. _Good, he was too thin._ Currently, he had a bit more of a stomach and his shoulders had broadened. In addition to physical changes, Dale also noticed Daryl's meals had become more substantial, better suited for a grown man: meatloaf, chicken-fried steak, green beans, okra, potatoes. The paltry lunches that Daryl had previously brought for himself, usually a peanut butter sandwich or two and coffee, did not go unnoticed by Dale.

Dale knew that Daryl would enjoy Mrs. Sullivan's cooking. He patted his own belly, having had his own experiences with a woman's good cooking. He smiled fondly to himself as he reflected on the pot roast that his wife Irma prepared last night.

* * *

The next morning, Daryl slept in a little so he wasn't up as early as he usually was. The long drive back from his hunting trip and having to work a full day yesterday just wiped him out. He made breakfast for himself and Merle. Merle was already awake and watching TV in his favorite chair. Daryl brought 2 plates of hard-boiled eggs and toast to the worn coffee table in front of the TV.

"Whatcha up ta today, liddol brother?" Merle inquired.

"Gonna go ta Mrs. Sullivan's. Bring 'er some rabbit meat."

"Ya spendin' a lotta time there with 'er. Ya think she's gonna adopt yer ass into her family?" Merle spat out in jealousy. "Imma yer family. Blood is blood. Ya best 'member that. Imma the only one who would ever care 'bout ya, liddol brother."

"Shuddup Merle. Ya don't know everythin'."

Daryl added, "And while Imma gone, maybe yer ugly ass can clean up the dishes from the breakfast that I made."

Daryl took his empty plate and dropped it into the sink. He filled a travel mug with hot coffee, not bothering to bring any to Merle. _He can git his own goddamn coffee. Ain't his maid._ Daryl grabbed the rabbit meat out of the freezer, plucked his keys from the kitchen table and then headed out to his truck.

While pulling up to Mrs. Sullivan's farmhouse, he noticed at least a dozen cars and trucks were parked nearby_. She must be havin' a party or somethin'_. _ I'll come back later,_ he thought. Daryl didn't want to interrupt anything and the thought of stepping into a crowd of people made him uncomfortable.

When he got back to his house, he found Merle poring over the newspaper's job listings. _Good, asshole_ _needs ta find a job._

"Old lady not home?"

He gave Merle a pointed look. "Mrs. Sullivan. Nah, must be havin' a bridge party or somethin' with the ladies from church," Daryl answered. "Imma going back in the afternoon. Maybe she's done by then."

Daryl spent the rest of the morning parked in front of the TV while Merle drank his coffee and read over the newspaper. Afterwards, Merle took his bike out for a ride.

A sigh left Daryl's lips. One good thing about Merle being in jail was that Daryl got to ride his bike while he was gone. It had been a few weeks since Daryl had the chance to sit on the Triumph and just enjoy the quiet Georgia roads.

The complaints from his hungry stomach made Daryl realize it was just past lunch time, as he glanced at the clock. He got up from the chair and dug through the pantry, pulling out a box of macaroni and cheese. The pasta was ready in no time and grabbing a spoon, Daryl sat down with it, staring at the bowl with a look of yearning. He had added a little extra milk in its preparation and the noodles were laying in plenty of cheese sauce. One of Daryl's fingers dipped into his bowl and he quickly brought it into his mouth, sucking the yellow sauce off of it.

"Mmmmm," he moaned to himself as he shoved another spoonful into his mouth. He relished the salty tang of the cheese sauce combined with the chewiness of the firm elbow macaroni pieces.

Growing up the way he did, food was for survival, not self-gratification or indulgence. You hunt so you can eat. You eat or you starve. The one exception was macaroni and cheese. Eating it was not just to prevent hunger, he also received great pleasure from its consumption.

Daryl fondly thought of Mrs. Sullivan's macaroni and cheese dish. She made it from scratch and baked it in the oven, which resulted in a cheesy crust; his favorite part. It was a thousand times better than this 3-for-a-dollar boxed shit, but this was what he was used to. _Maybe she'll make it this week, _he thought hopefully.

That afternoon, Daryl pulled up to Mrs. Sullivan's farmhouse. He noticed the vehicles were absent, except for Mrs. Sullivan's old Buick. Getting out of his truck, he picked up the rabbit meat from the cooler and headed for the front door. He knocked a couple of times and waited.

The door opened slowly and instead of seeing the blue eyes of Mrs. Sullivan, Daryl found himself staring into emeralds. He frowned. Something was off but he couldn't put a finger on it just yet. The lackluster eyes he saw were rimmed in red, with dark bags under them. He glanced down and noticed a black blouse with a matching black skirt, and his eyes continued their downward trajectory, with his observation ending with black shoes.

His brain finally registered an image pulled from Mrs. Sullivan's photographs. Daryl's eyes snapped right back up to the stranger's face. _One of the granddaughters. T' fuck happened?_

"You must be Daryl," she said in a small, wavering voice, giving him a tiny smile. "I'm Olivia." She ran her eyes over the expression on his face; confusion, apprehension, caution. "Gran's gone," she explained gently. The last part came out in a near whisper.

At first, he didn't quite hear her. His mind worked furiously to process what his ears took in. Then he felt as if his stomach dropped and all the air he had in his lungs was sucked out of him. Daryl noticed a lump forming in his throat, an irritating burn making its presence known. He swallowed down the uncomfortable feelings he didn't want to deal with, clenching a fist. And when Daryl was faced with something he didn't want to deal with, he turned to the one thing he WAS comfortable with. Anger.

"I came fer ma pay," he stated roughly, unclenching his hand and raising it to his mouth. He began chewing on this thumbnail, while looking down at the ground. "Yer Gran said she'd have it fer me when I got back from huntin'."

"Okay. Let me look for it," she replied. Stepping back, she invited him in.

Daryl stepped inside, letting the screen door close behind him and looked around. He gently shut the front door during his perusal of the living room. His eyes glanced from corner to corner. There were some empty paper plates and cups sitting on several folding tables, which were placed in the living room and dining room areas. A large, black garbage bag on the floor near the door held most of the refuse.

Olivia came back into the room, with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, I don't see an envelope for you. I looked everywhere. Would-"

His eyes narrowed. "I told ya Mrs. Sullivan hadn't paid me yet. She was holdin' it fer me when I got back," raising his voice.

"I believe you. I trust you. That's not the problem," Olivia reassured him. "I just need time to pull some cash. I didn't bring my checkbook, and I believe Gran always paid in cash anyway."

Daryl grunted, and removed his thumb from his mouth. "That's fine. I be back here ta work again in 2 days."

As he turned to leave, he suddenly remembered the rabbit meat he was still clutching in his left hand. He thrusted the bag at Olivia, who caught it in her hands at the last minute. And with that, he was gone, the screen door slamming against the frame behind him.

_Jerk! What was that about? _Olivia was confused. She stood there, staring at the front door, unable to move. Gran spoke about Daryl every time they talked on the phone. From what she described, this was not the same man she just met. This man was downright rude and not friendly at all. Gran told her about the conversations she and Daryl had. This was the man, out of his own volition, who changed the oil in her grandmother's car and fixed the running toilet.

She would have to think on it. The girls were taught from a young age not to make snap judgments and to look beyond the surface. His behavior did not make sense. But she trusted her grandmother.

As she absently walked to the kitchen, to put the meat into the freezer, she thought about what transpired during the day. She was lonely. And unbelievably sad.

The funeral was actually very nice. Her Gran was well-loved in the community and the church was packed full of mourners. Mrs. Taylor sang "Amazing Grace", one of Gran's favorite songs. Mrs. Alloway finished the service by singing "Take Me Home", which had a beautiful and haunting melody. There was not a dry eye at the church.

Sammy was due in a few weeks, and being on doctor-ordered bed rest, could not be there. The girls decided not to mention the bed rest to their grandmother, to spare her unnecessary worry. Nessie was still in Kenya and would not return until the end of her mission, which would be June. She was able to fly back for their grandmother's birthday as a surprise, but generally people stayed put on an assignment. The volunteer coordinator gave Vanessa that favor since she owed her one.

Luckily, Olivia was able to find someone at the church to help her set up Skype. Both sisters were able to attend the funeral remotely. She knew her sisters loved Gran dearly and would never forgive themselves if they missed it, even if circumstances were not their fault.

Afterwards, there was a potluck reception back at the farmhouse. Most everyone who was at the funeral was there also. It warmed her heart to see and hear Gran's friends speak so highly of her. She tried so hard to remember everyone's names and to thank them for coming out to the funeral, but her mind was just fuzzy for most the day.

When the rabbit meat was placed in the freezer, something drew her attention to the refrigerator. Slowly, she opened the door and found the remainder of the Lady Baltimore cake that Mrs. Sullivan baked. Her Gran was testing out a new recipe for the bake sale she was planning. Mrs. Fortenberry found the cake in the refrigerator and laid it out on the reception table along with the other food items.

Olivia definitely did not have an appetite, having only had sips of water and 3 crackers since she arrived yesterday afternoon. But she grabbed a fork out of the drawer and gingerly unwrapped the leftover cake. Sitting down, she scooped a piece of cake, almost reverently, and placed it in her mouth, closing her eyes as she chewed and savored that bite. Tears trickled down from her eyes as she took another forkful of cake.

At the end of the night, all the garbage from the reception had been collected and taken outside. The folding tables and chairs had been returned to the storage shed out back.

Olivia was beat. She headed upstairs to the master bedroom, where her suitcase was and took out her pajamas and a pair of panties. She didn't bother bringing them with her to the bathroom since she was the only one in the house and the master bathroom connected to the bedroom anyway.

In the shower, she let the soothing hot water run over her face. The events of the day hit her all at once, and she sobbed loudly in grief, crumpling to the floor of the shower. Sitting, she wrapped her arms around her knees and cried so hard she started hiccupping. After a little while, it seemed she had no more tears left in her body. She stood up and turned off the water.

Olivia picked up a towel and dried herself off, putting on her clean underwear and pajamas. Glancing at the clock, she realized then how late it was, and she decided it was time to turn in.

In bed, she tossed and turned, unable to find peace even in sleep. Her mind was still actively thinking about the funeral, recalling the expressive tune sung at the funeral.

_In the sweet light_

_Of the valley_

_When the sun falls_

_Upon the vine_

_I shall lay down_

_All of my troubles_

_And I'll lift up _

_This heart of mine_

_Take me home, Lord_

_Oh, take me home_

_O'er the hillsides _

_And o'er the sea_

_To the soft grass _

_Of the valley_

_Where Your Grace _

_Shall set me free_

_Through the shadows_

_Of the darkness_

_Through the storms that_

_Lead me astray_

_I shall travel_

_Forever knowing_

_In Your light_

_I will always stay_

As she slept fitfully on her back, one lone tear seeped out from her eye, and slid down towards her hairline.

**Author's Note:**

"**Take Me Home" is a beautiful song by Nathan Barr. It was on True Blood. Youtube has it, in many versions (fan covers, original singer, etc), but the original singer, Lisbeth Scott, is just wonderful. A very soulful voice. There was a fan cover version that someone made. It had an echo sound to it, which gives it an extra dimension. The melody is just spectacular, as well as the words. Wish I knew how to put the link on my bio…. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:**

**Thank you so much for all those follows, favorites, and reviews. Makes me smile to see that fantastic support in my inbox! Hehehehe.**

**Chapter 5-Madison, GA**

**2 Days After the Funeral**

The early morning sun peeked through the shades that adorned the windows in the master bedroom. One particular beam of light hit Olivia right in the eyes, making her headache even worse. She groaned in annoyance before stretching and getting up from the bed. She knew she had a lot left to do before she headed back home.

Yesterday, she spent time going through bills and contacting her grandmother's lawyer. She also called Mabel, the young college girl that was hired to help Gran with cleaning and housekeeping. It was a big house for an 86-year-old woman to take care of, so the help was needed. The young girl also took care of the smaller, unoccupied house that was also on the property. Back in the day, her grandfather had full-time farm hands who lived there. Now that the farm was smaller, in terms of livestock, it was not necessary to have more help.

Olivia explained what happened to Mabel and asked her to hold off on cleaning services until she knew what was going on. Mabel was upset upon hearing the news. The girl really loved spending time with Mrs. Sullivan. Olivia appreciated the kind words she offered.

Late yesterday morning and early afternoon, some people still stopped by to offer condolences even though she just saw them the day before at the funeral. She was touched by the empathy that surrounded her, though she sorely missed the comfort of her sisters.

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, she noted the puffiness underneath her bloodshot eyes. She stripped off her clothing, wrapped up her hair and clipped it to her head, and jumped into the shower. Normally, Olivia didn't shower in the morning, only at night, but she thought maybe the hot water will soothe her headache and general mood. She sighed as the water sluiced down her tired body, making her feel better almost instantly.

_Aw, crap,_ she thought, eyes popping open. She remembered that Daryl would be back at work on the farm today. Gran would have a fit if she knew one of her farmhands came in to work and breakfast was not ready. She hurried her shower along and then later hopped out to dry herself. Olivia dabbed on some moisturizer for her eyes and face. After getting dressed in comfy stretchy pants and a T-shirt, she took her hair out of the clip and tied it up into a ponytail.

Olivia stepped into the kitchen and ran around, looking in the pantry and refrigerator for ideas on what to prepare for breakfast. Her eyes landed on the remainder of the raisin challah that Mrs. Peters brought to the reception two days ago. It was still very fresh. She quickly cut the loaf into four thick slices. A pack of bacon, half a melon, and a couple of eggs were retrieved from the refrigerator. And now she began to work.

She found that while she cooked, her mind became more settled. Cooking was always a passion of hers, so it wasn't surprising that it would have a calming effect, even if she was in a hurry.

Mrs. Sullivan instilled a love of cooking in her daughter, and in turn, her granddaughters as well. Nothing could compete with a fresh, nourishing home-cooked meal, prepared with love. As a result, in addition to treasured memories of cooking in the kitchen with their grandmother, each granddaughter had the ability to create delicious, satisfying meals for themselves and others.

While most of their college peers subsisted on spaghetti and sauce poured from a jar or take-out pizza, the girls concocted a homemade Bolognese sauce to go with their pasta or made their own pizzas from scratch.

While Olivia worked, a memory of one summer, of baking chocolate chip cookies with Gran and her sisters popped into her head and a tiny smile appeared on her face. She giggled, for the first time since she received that dreaded phone call from Mrs. Alloway.

That was the summer that 12-year-old Nessie mouthed off to Gran, earning her a smack on her bottom from a wooden spoon. Gran loved her granddaughters and wouldn't hurt them for anything, so it was more a tap than a smack. By the way her sister was howling and carrying on, you'd think she needed to be rushed to the emergency room. _What a drama queen,_ Olivia thought with a smirk. _Was and still is._

In a shallow dish, the bread slices were soaking in the beaten eggs which had a sprinkle or two of ground cinnamon and a dash of vanilla. After a few minutes, she buttered up a pan and placed the French toast pieces on the hot surface. While that was cooking, Olivia had the bacon strips frying in another pan set on medium, so she didn't burn it. The last thing she needed to do was to cut up the cantaloupe after she washed it off. She was always careful to clean the outside of most food items, even the eggs.

Olivia remembered the odd look that Sammy gave her once when she witnessed her rinsing and cleaning the eggs for their omelette. "Look where they come out from," was the reason she gave for her actions. Her sister just rolled her eyes.

Just then, she heard a knock at the door that pulled her out of her reflection. Olivia ran over to get the door. "Good morning, Daryl," she greeted with a little smile. Daryl just glanced at her and looked back down at the ground with a scowl. "Come in." She opened the screen door for him.

"Go ahead and wash up and then have a seat. I'm nearly ready."

_Huh?_ Daryl wasn't sure if there would still be meals, considering the old lady was gone. Then again, what would happen to his job now?

He had some pickled pigs' feet right out of the jar this morning, not really expecting a meal. He sat in his usual spot at the table after he cleaned up in the bathroom.

Olivia brought out two plates, each with two pieces of French toast (with the bigger slices on Daryl's plate), a ramekin of cut-up melon, and bacon, giving Daryl 3 slices. After placing the plates on the table, she walked back into the kitchen to get the orange juice.

"Do you want any coffee, Daryl?" she called out from the kitchen.

He shrugged. _Okaaay, I'll take that as a yes, _she thought.

They spent the meal in awkward near silence. The efforts at small talk that Olivia tried to instill were shot down by Daryl, who either ignored her or grunted at her. He ate, shoveling his food in, with a constant scowl on his face.

"Dary, I-"

"Gotta take a piss," he announced, effectively cutting her off, and stood up, walking over to the bathroom down the hall.

Olivia sat there, bewildered. _He acts like he hates me._ She knew something must be going on with him. She thought that perhaps he was grieving for her Gran.

After Daryl came out of the bathroom, he headed out the back door, to begin his work for the day, making it clear he wanted to be alone. Well, Olivia's sisters have always said how stubborn she was, so this time wasn't any different. She wanted to know why Daryl was acting this way and decided to follow him.

"Daryl, what is going on with you? You act like you hate me, hate being here."

"I need ta git ta work here. Got no time fer this."

"Are you sad about losing my Gran? It's okay to be-"

Daryl turned around and interrupted her. "I said I got work ta do! Quit actin' like a bitch 'n followin' me 'round!" he yelled in her face.

He continued to yell. "I got work ta do, ain't got no time ta stand here and play 20 Questions. I didn't come from no rich family, so I hafta work ma ass off. Every penny I earn, I earn from ma sweat. Didn't git shit from anyone."

Olivia was startled to see such a strong reaction from him. Gran trusted him, so she did too. She didn't believe he would hurt her. But she was annoyed at being treated this way. Not only was annoyed, but she found she was getting angry.

"Don't you act like you didn't care about my Gran! She talked about you every time I had her on the phone. You were important to her," she added. "Don't you pretend that the time you spent with her meant nothing to you. It meant something to her. She liked you, Daryl. She said you are a good man."

The deep pain in his chest heralded the moment Daryl felt his heart fracture into a million pieces. A large lump formed in his throat and he found it difficult to swallow back the enormous amount of guilt that he had been carrying. The back of his throat began to burn as his eyes moistened. He blinked furiously to keep any moisture from escaping, but it was a losing battle.

Olivia witnessed the emotional upheaval that Daryl was experiencing, and overcome with empathy, she moved towards him, with her arm extended.

Daryl roughly swatted her arm away and turned around, giving her his back, not wanting her to see him. Truth be told, Daryl did not want to see HER. He would just die if he saw blame reflected back from her eyes.

"If I…..if I hadn't been away, I might… have…" his breath hitched. "I might have been able ta save her. I shoulda been here. I shouldn't have gone," he added with a whimper, his voice breaking. His own efforts to calm himself down failed and the tears rushed down his cheeks.

"It was…it was ma fault," he sobbed. "She was alone. I let yer Gran down."

She watched his head droop and his shoulders shake with pent-up grief and guilt. Even though she'd only known him but for 20 minutes, she couldn't bear to see him suffer so much and suffer alone, especially for something he couldn't blame himself for. Sometimes bad things just happened. It was how life worked.

Olivia felt her own heart breaking as she heard and felt the extent of Daryl's pain. She stepped up to him and flung her arms around his midsection, trapping his arms within her own, her head turned, cheek laying on his back, right under the middle of his shoulder blades. Her arms enclosed him tightly as tears continued to flow freely from his eyes. He tried halfheartedly to push her away once again, but he gave up and finally accepted the comfort that she offered.

Her voice was like a whisper in the wind, it was so soft. "It's okay," she cooed, as her own tears slowly descended down her cheeks and onto his shirt. "Shhhh, it's okay."

* * *

After about 10 minutes, his keening subsided and Daryl was feeling vulnerable. _Aww, fuck._ He hadn't meant for her to see him that way. But what could he do? He knew he couldn't stay like this forever. Eventually he would have to move. He rubbed furiously at his eyes and face to get rid of the evidence of tears. He felt ashamed. _She's gonna think Imma a pussy, like Merle says._ Slowly, cautiously, he turned around. Sensing movement, Olivia released him from her grasp and stepped back one step. Daryl was looking at the ground, but he raised his eyes gradually and looked into her green orbs, expecting to see disgust and accusation reflected back at him. Instead, what he saw was concern and care. Daryl stood there, immobile, not knowing what to do. He was still embarrassed.

Olivia was regarding him with compassion and understanding. _He was feeling guilty. Daryl thought it was all his fault_. She knew he shouldn't be blaming himself. Her heart sank. Daryl was putting everything on his own shoulders.

"C'mon. Let's go back to the house and get cleaned up," she announced with a small smile. Olivia held out her hand to Daryl. He looked down at her small hand, then his gaze wandered up to her face, and back down to her hand again. Slowly, he reached out and wrapped his large calloused fingers around her soft, warm hand.

He looked down at their joined hands and noted just how small her hand was in comparison to his. Though tiny, her hand was like an anchor that held him firmly, keeping him from getting lost in a maelstrom of self-loathing and despair, and he clung to it desperately, trying not to drown.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:**

**Thank you so much for your reviews, favorites, and follows. I love reading those reviews to see what you guys think!**

**Hey! Last week on the TV during the commercial break, I saw an advertisement for Walking Dead coming on Channel 15. Looks like our favorite show is on syndication! When did this happen?! Needless to say, I was very happy and excited.**

**One last note…..I'm going on va-cay (yippee!) next week, so I may not be able to put up a chappie on Monday before I leave….I'll try though….**

**Chapter 6-Madison, GA**

Back at the house, Daryl dried off his face with a soft guest towel and looking into the mirror, he examined his reflection. His eyes were still red and swollen, evidence of his emotional disintegration was still present. Part of him continued to be embarrassed that Olivia was there to see that, but another part of him was also relieved at the same time. Merle would have regarded him as a pussy and teased him mercilessly. Daryl squirmed under his own introspection and tore his eyes away from the mirror. With a huff, he opened the door and walked out of the bathroom and into the living room.

Olivia was sitting on the sofa. On the coffee table in front of her, she had placed a small plate of cookies and two cups of hot tea. She thought it would soothe both of them. The last few days had been a very gut-wrenching, emotional time. Whenever her Gran needed to comfort any of the girls, she always prepared a hot beverage. (And of course, cookies didn't hurt either.)

She heard him exit the bathroom, and decided not to bring up what happened outside, thinking that Daryl may embarrassed about sharing his emotions. Olivia didn't think that was something Daryl did often, if ever.

"I have a cup of hot tea for you, Daryl. It's on the coffee table." She pointed. "There are some tea biscuits too. Gran's favorite." She grinned up at him.

"What ya got there?" He motioned with a jut of his chin as he sat down on the sofa next to her.

"I brought out one of Gran's old photo albums. Here, look." She pushed the album out towards him.

Daryl studied the page Olivia was pointing at. It was an old black and white photo of Mrs. Sullivan, when she was a teenager or perhaps in her early 20's. He only knew it was her because of the smile. And her eyes. Those hadn't changed one bit. The rest of her he didn't recognize. Her hair was dark and styled into victory rolls at the crown of her head and temples. She was clothed in a one-piece bathing suit in a floral pattern, which only accentuated her tiny waist and full hips. Seated on the ground, her legs were folded under her and she had on wedge sandals. It looked like she had makeup on her smooth, unwrinkled face and her fingernails appeared to be painted.

"Huh, she was hot."

_Aw, fuck. Did I say that out loud?! _Daryl could have kicked himself for being so stupid. Poor girl just lost her grandmother and he HAD to be a pervert.

He heard Olivia giggle. It was a pleasing, melodic sound. He wished she'd do it again.

"Yeah, she certainly was. She used to model before she got married to Granddaddy. She appeared in many advertisements for Revlon and Max Factor. Gran was just beautiful." Olivia smiled. "Inside and out."

"Gran went on to college, which probably wasn't what most young married women did back then. Granddaddy supported her in anything she wanted to do. After she graduated, she worked for the state, as a social worker," Olivia continued. "When she got pregnant, she left her job and became a housewife and mother."

They spent the next 10 minutes sipping their tea and flipping through the photo albums, with Olivia offering Daryl the last tea biscuit.

"What's this?" Daryl pointed to one picture of a young Mrs. Sullivan standing next to a gigantic, translucent cone-shaped object. A few other young women were there too, also wearing hairnets.

Olivia looked where Daryl was pointing and grinned. "During World War II, Gran volunteered to work at the Bell Aircraft Plant in Marietta." She explained further. "When most of the men were called off to war, the women around here stepped up to fill their empty spots in factories. Those clear cones are the noses for the bomber planes. That's Mrs. Peters' mother-in-law, Eleanor, standing on Gran's left. The younger Mrs. Peters is who you usually see at the door when you stop at the Peters' farm," Olivia added, providing clarification.

She had always loved to share her grandmother's life stories with other people. Now that she was gone, Olivia felt it was even more important for people to know of all the interesting things she did in her life. Olivia admired her grandmother for her accomplishments in a time when women were expected to marry after high school and then stay home to rear their children and take care of their husbands. Even though her Gran knew a family would be in her future, she also wanted more than what society dictated in her generation.

Daryl learned that Mrs. Sullivan had twins, a boy and girl. The girl was Olivia's mother, who died a long time ago, along with her brother Charlie, Olivia's uncle. They were traveling together and a drunk driver ran into them. Her father raised the three girls pretty much by himself. He never fell in love with anyone else. Much later, when the girls were in their late 20s, he was also taken from them.

Olivia noticed Daryl's attention became focused on pictures of a little dog.

"That's Napolean," Olivia said with a smile. After Granddaddy died, Gran was never quite the same. My grandparents were inseparable for more than 60 years, so it was very hard on her."

She continued. "But one day, she came across this little dog and he brought joy back into her life again. She doted on him and he was thoroughly spoiled. I've never seen a dog so spoiled, and that's including my own."

"Ya gotta dog?"

"Yeah, Godiva. I call her Godey sometimes. She's a chocolate Lab mix. Sweet little thing. I got her from the shelter where I volunteer my services when she was just a few months old. Someone left her in a dumpster behind a restaurant." Olivia's eyes hardened when a horrible image came to her mind again. "She was half-starved and riddled with fleas when she was rescued."

He narrowed his eyes. "Assholes." One thing Daryl couldn't stand were people who abused animals. Perhaps he felt an affinity for them, having been unwanted and abused himself.

"Do ya think she was scared, ya know, at the end?" Daryl inquired, chewing on his thumbnail.

Olivia knew who he was referring to. "Maybe at first….it's natural. I just know Granddaddy would have been there. He would have been waiting for her. She wasn't alone. Don't you worry about that, Daryl. Gran has Granddaddy and my parents, and my uncle. She'll never be alone."

The photo albums were placed on the coffee table and Olivia scooted back against the armrest of the sofa, tucking her legs under her, facing Daryl. A thoughtful expression flitted across her face. "Do you have family around here, Daryl?"

Daryl chewed on his inner cheek, uncertain if he was going to answer her inquiry. He hated questions about his family. He especially didn't want her to know about his shitty family.

Olivia had a feeling Daryl really did not talk much about his past or his family, so she didn't expect an answer. And she certainly wasn't going to push him for one either. She would wait patiently for when he was ready.

"Ma momma died in a fire when I was a kid. Ma daddy's still 'round." Gran had mentioned to Olivia about her suspicions of abuse in the past, so she wanted to tread carefully with Daryl. She stayed quiet, allowing him to continue at his own pace, if he wished.

For some reason, Daryl trusted her. Maybe it was the way she accepted him after seeing him at his worst. Maybe it was the way she refused to back down from the barrier of anger he usually relied on to keep people away from him. _Girl's got balls._ He decided he could give her some more information. Daryl wasn't sure what he felt, but he didn't have that coil of tension that he always had hovering just under the surface. It seemed to be gone. For now, he felt…..peaceful. Relaxed.

"Ma daddy used ta beat on me 'n Merle, ma brother. He'd git drunk 'n start usin' his fists, or his belt. We didn't want ta take anymore of his shit, so when we were older, we saved up money 'n left. We drifted from town ta town, sometimes stealin', sometimes workin' odd jobs ta earn what money we could," Daryl ended, with a faraway look in his eyes. He tensed as he thought of the scars on his back. _She can never know 'bout those…._

Olivia felt her jaw tighten at the mention of Daryl and his brother getting beaten by their father. And to think it happened when they were children. She thought the biggest cowards were the ones who picked on those who were unable to defend themselves: women, children, animals. Her heart sank at the thought of Daryl and Merle being scared and hungry, hurting.

"You aren't that person anymore, Daryl. You can be whoever you want to be. You can be more. Your own destiny is in your hands."

"What if I can't let go of the past?"

"Then it'll kill you. Here," she tapped her chest with her pointer finger. "It won't let you move on. It'll suck every bit of your soul, until there's nothing left of you," Olivia spoke earnestly, looking at him with her wide green eyes.

Olivia was deep in thought. "Gran always said that things happen the way they're supposed to, that there's a reason. I really don't understand why things like that happen….especially to children. It's not right." Her chest ached.

"As tragic as your childhood was, it served to give you the strength to overcome any obstacle in your path. I don't know anybody who has survived so much." She stared at him intently. "I admire your courage and your strength, Daryl. You're the strongest person I know. You can do anything you set your mind to."

"Hey, just think…..not letting what your daddy did affect your future. It's like a giant F.U. to him, isn't it?" She smirked.

The corner of Daryl's mouth lifted up slightly as he listened to what she was saying.

* * *

At the end of the day, Daryl returned to the farmhouse after a few hours of cleaning out the stable. He washed up in the bathroom and sat down on a barstool in the kitchen, watching Olivia prepare supper. She looked up when he sat down and gave him a little smile, never stopping what she was doing.

Daryl noticed the oven light was on and his nose told him that he was in for a treat. He watched her rinse off the top of the can of tuna, open it up, and then empty the contents into a bowl. To that, she added a sprinkle of ground black pepper and a couple of other spices from the spice rack, chopped up celery and diced red and green peppers. After mixing it around with a spoon or two of mayonnaise, she walked back to the stove where a pot was simmering, and stirred vigorously.

"Do you want your bread toasted?" she called over shoulder.

"Yeah," he answered, still watching her, chewing on his thumbnail. She placed 4 slices of wheat bread into the toaster and pressed the levers.

The oven timer went off at that moment and Olivia rushed to pull the tray of potato chips out before they burned. His mouth watered at the thought of freshly-made potato chips.

Daryl walked over to the cabinet and got out two plates, grabbing the toast when the slices popped up. Olivia spooned a generous amount of tuna salad on top of one piece of toast, first for one plate, then the other. Using tongs, she placed several potato chips onto each plate. Lastly, she picked up a ladle and served vegetable soup into bowls, placing one bowl on each plate. When he looked into the bowl, he saw a mix of carrots, green beans, tomatoes, corn, and a few other things he couldn't readily identify.

"How many vegetables do we need? Imma gonna turn inta a damn squash from eatin' all this," Daryl grumbled.

She giggled as she pictured a scowling, cranky cartoon squash that nibbled on its thumb.

"Oh, hush, and just eat, Daryl."

They settled their plates on the island, in front of the barstools. Olivia walked over to grab some drinks. "What do you want to drink?" she called over shoulder.

"Water is good."

She filled two glasses and returned to the center island.

At first, Daryl was a little put-off by the unfamiliar preparation of tuna salad. He and Merle usually just mixed the canned tuna with mayonnaise and called it a day. He had to admit (just not to her) that the combination she created was very tasty and he wouldn't have minded seconds or thirds. The crunchy celery and peppers she added gave the tuna salad a different texture.

"Well, how is it?" Olivia asked after a few minutes.

"S'alright," Daryl said with a shrug.

She smirked at him. "Liar."

"Tomorrow, I have an appointment with Gran's lawyer. He will have phone conferencing set up so Sammy can be there. Nessie is unavailable, she's in the field and they can't pull out Skype for her once again."

Daryl nodded. "Her will?"

"Yes. I know in some families, money is what causes the relationships to break down, because there's so much fighting." She continued. "I'm really lucky to have such great sisters. We have each other's backs, one trusting the other."

Daryl thought about his own family. They were already selfish and greedy; broken. And that was with no money involved. His mind couldn't comprehend what would happen if money was a factor.

"How come ya don't say Grace like yer Gran?" Daryl asked.

Olivia shrugged. "Gran was very religious, but I don't think my mom ever was. She married Daddy who was raised Catholic, but I don't think he was that religious either, though we had to go to a Catholic high school."

Daryl perked up at the mental image he created of her in her school uniform. His cheeks flushed with warmth. He glanced at Olivia through his bangs, wary of her realizing where his thoughts strayed. She didn't seem to notice.

Merle interrupted his fantasy. _Whoa-weee, Darylina. Ya man enough for her? Or ya gonna pansy up? Women like that won't give ya the time of day. Ya gonna make yerself look like a damn fool. _

With a huff, Daryl shoved Merle out of his mind.

Later, as Daryl was leaving, Olivia handed him some foil-covered paper plates. "From lunch, the dark chocolate and cherry cookies. The other plate has the Salisbury steak and carrots. It'll come in handy when you're at the garage tomorrow."

He nodded his thanks as he went out the door.

* * *

Olivia pulled into the parking lot the next morning. She looked up at the sign.

Adams, Hemingway & Wilson, LLP

_Yep, this is it. _

She took a deep breath. Part of her still in denial that she was here in the parking lot of the lawyer's office. That her grandmother was gone.

Olivia opened the door and made the short walk into the building.

An hour later, she was back in her car. She sat there, mulling things over.

Mrs. Sullivan had left the farmhouse and adjoining property to Olivia and her sisters. Samantha had already received Gran's engagement ring and matching wedding band. It was known that Gran had always planned for them to go to the oldest child. The pearl necklace was bequeathed to Nessie. Eighteen inches in length, each round pearl was perfectly matched in shape and luster. The pearl earrings that were part of the set with the necklace were left to Olivia. Also perfectly round and off-white, they were set in white gold with a sprinkling of pavé diamonds. Olivia remembered Gran telling them that their Granddaddy presented her with the necklace and earrings for their 30th anniversary.

Additionally, Mrs. Sullivan dictated in her will that her set of Lenox wedding china was to be passed on to Olivia as well. She remembered every holiday at her grandmother's house. The china would be brought out from the china cabinet, where it was on display for most of the year.

When she was little, Olivia and her sisters pretended they were princesses who were attending a royal dinner. They would use their finest manners. Making sure they were sitting up straight, the girls sipped tea from dainty teacups held with their pinkies up. Their parents indulged them in their role-playing games and bowed and curtsied, addressing each of the girls as "Your Highness," to which they would dissolve into fits of giggles.

Interestingly enough, many years later, she discovered the name of the 1940s china pattern was Castle Garden.

The only other thing that Gran owned was her old Buick. According to her will, her grandmother wanted it to be donated to the church, so that the church could use it, sell it, or perhaps donate it to a needy family. _That sounds just like Gran. She never stops helping other people._

Olivia pulled herself out of her reverie.

Olivia needed to see Daryl and she tilted her head in thought, recalling that Daryl would be back at the farm the day after tomorrow. _Good, I'll talk to him then._

Before heading back to the farm, Olivia stopped by the Perk Avenue Café to grab a bite to eat. It was just about lunchtime. The curious locals turned to survey the newest face in town when she walked in. _Friendly, aren't they?_ She gave a little smile and slid into a booth when the proprietor greeted her and waved at the empty spot.

"Good afternoon, ma'am," the waitress announced when she stood in front of Olivia. _Ma'am?_ "This here is our menu." Olivia took the menu from the young girl. "Would ya like a few minutes ta go over the menu?"

"Oh, yes, please. I'm new here, so I'll need some time."

"Take your time, ma'am. I'll be back. Would you like something to drink first?"

"Just water will be great. Thanks," Olivia answered with a smile. _Well…I guess ma'am it is._ _Makes me feel old,_ she thought with a sigh. _Guess I'm not 22 anymore._

After devouring the tasty chicken wrap she ordered, Olivia paid the tab and left a nice tip for the waitress. The young girl reminded her of someone familiar she couldn't quite place. Maybe someone on a TV show. It bothered her when something was just on the edge of her brain but she couldn't quite place it.

Evan always complained about her need to identify familiar faces. At the thought of her ex-boyfriend, Olivia's heart began to feel heavy. _Not thinking about him, nope, never, no way, _she commanded herself. It had been more than a few months ago, but the breakup still hurt. In the end, he had the audacity to blame her for it.

Olivia pushed herself out of the booth and back into her grandmother's Buick. She came across a bank nearby and immediately found a parking spot. She remembered she needed to get cash for Daryl's pay.

After leaving the bank, Olivia dashed into the grocery store to pick up a few more things for the next several days. She didn't want to buy too much, otherwise it'd go to waste. She was supposed to spend 2 weeks in Georgia taking care of her grandmother's affairs and then return to her house in California. The store happened to have a few empty boxes, which she gladly took with her for packing up.

Once Olivia returned to the farmhouse, she put away the groceries and placed the cardboard boxes in the downstairs bedroom, then promptly flopped down on the sofa. She tiredly rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands. She still had work to do.

With a long sigh, she lifted herself up from the sofa and walked in the bedroom downstairs, the one her grandmother was using. She pulled an empty cardboard box towards the dresser and opened one drawer. Each garment was unfolded and checked over, then refolded and lovingly placed in the cardboard box on the floor. After about an hour, Olivia had 4 full boxes.

She went through the same procedure for the clothing in the closet. The corner of her mouth lifted when she found the light purple dress with dark purple flowers; her grandmother's favorite. This dress remained on the hanger.

Hat boxes were stored on a shelf in the closet and she went through these as well, coming across a large purple brimmed hat. Olivia remembered how much Gran loved pairing the hat with her purple floral dress. She decided this was the outfit to keep. A pair of white gloves and shoes were also held back from going to Goodwill. The rest of the clothing was being donated, as Gran requested. Later on, she'll pack the outfit and bring it up to the attic for storage. Many of her grandparents' old clothing and knickknacks were stored up there. A smile split her face as she pictured in her mind all the countless hours of fun she and her sisters had up there. The girls delighted in playing dress up. Nessie was often found teetering around in Gran's old heels while Sammy preferred the funny hats that Gran used to wear when she was younger.

Later, when the girls were older, they fully appreciated the history and design of the vintage clothing. Olivia was a huge history buff so she was the one who got excited the most over the dresses with the nipped-in waists and full skirts, the peep-toe platform heels, and the veiled and feathered hats that her grandmother used to wear. She couldn't believe that people had worn such elegant things. A part of her would have loved to go back in time to the 1940s and 1950s just to be able to wear such classic and dignified pieces all the time. Back then, clothing was so graceful and sophisticated. Not like the jeans and T-shirts most people wore out and about.

When she was finished boxing up her grandmother's clothing and accessories, Olivia brought each box out to the living room, by the door, so she could drop them off at the Goodwill center nearby.

She took the pearl necklace and earrings out of the jewelry box that was on the vanity table and took them upstairs, to the master bedroom. She carefully wrapped the jewelry in a T-shirt and placed the roll in her carry-on case. When she left, she'd be sure to take them with her.

Next, she stripped off the blanket and linens from the bed and placed them in the hamper located in the mudroom.

She walked slowly to the downstairs bedroom once again, hovering in the doorway, and took a look around, picturing her grandmother sitting in front of the vanity table brushing her hair or putting on her pearls. A wistful smile appeared on her face as she softly shut the door with a soft click.

**Author's Note:**

**In my research, I found the Bell Aircraft Plant in Marietta, GA. It existed in the early/mid 1940s and was instrumental in the war effort. The picture of the ladies next to the clear nose cones is actually a picture from an aircraft facility in Long Beach, CA. So, a real picture, but from a different company in a different city.**

**The law firm, Adams, Hemingway & Wilson, LLP, does exist but in Macon, GA. The Perk Avenue Café and Coffeehouse really is in Madison!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:**

**Hi everyone! I'm back from vacation. Geez…my body still thinks it's on Pacific Time. Hubby and I fell in love with Portland. It's absolutely beautiful there. Pure, unspoiled land. Gorgeous architectural details on the houses there. Majestic mountains. The only mountains we drive by in Florida are the landfills. **

**We walked everywhere we could. And we ate like pigs. (I never want to see or smell another donut again.)**

**Thank you for the new follows, favorites, and reviews! I love seeing these. Gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. Apologies to those who reviewed. I haven't been able to reply yet, but I promise I will! I wanted to get out this chapter to you. **

**Chapter 7-Madison, GA**

While turning off the stove, Olivia heard a knock at the door. _Must be Daryl,_ she thought. _He's pretty punctual. _

She lifted the skillet off the hot burner and placed it on a trivet, so the frittata did not overcook. Hurriedly, she made her way to the front door.

The door opened at the same time she gave Daryl her greeting. "Good morning, Daryl."

Daryl stood there, gnawing on his thumb. "Mornin'," he answered in his gravelly voice, not bothering to remove his thumb first before speaking.

"Come in, breakfast is nearly done."

Walking in and closing the door and screen behind him, Daryl noticed a delectable scent in the air. "What's that?"

"We have a sausage, spinach, potato, and cheddar frittata. You'll like it," she promised with a smile. "I just gathered the eggs earlier this morning from the henhouse."

"T'hell is a fridada?" Daryl asked.

"It's like an omelette, but it's not rolled up. It kind of looks like an egg cake too," Olivia explained. Her head tilted to the side in thought. "I think frittata means egg cake in Italian."

She added. "Let's eat first, so the food doesn't get cold. Coffee or orange juice?"

"Orange juice is good."

After breakfast, of which Daryl had 3 servings, Olivia jumped up out of her barstool and scurried over to the kitchen counter. "Oh, Daryl, before I forget, here is your pay from last week and for this week," handing him an envelope.

Daryl looked down at the envelope she held out, muttering "Thanks," as he reached for it. She smiled at him.

Her smile widened. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "There's something else too," she announced.

"Come this way," she instructed as she picked up a small set of keys that were dangling on a hook by the back door.

Curious, Daryl followed her like a puppy dog. He caught up to her in no time and they were soon walking side by side.

"How'd the lawyer go the other day?" Daryl inquired.

Olivia took a deep breath. "It went well. Gran's jewelry was split between my sisters and me, as well as her house and property."

"Whatcha gonna do with the house? Ya only here fer 'nother week, right?"

For some reason, a funny feeling bubbled up from his stomach. _Prolly 'cause Imma gonna be outta a job…_

She sighed. "Yeah, just one more week. I do love it here. It brings me so many wonderful memories. We spent every summer here until we went to college."

Daryl noticed they stopped at the shed and she unlocked the door with one of the keys in the key ring. She swung open the door and looked at him. He flapped his hand, indicating for her to go in first. He followed after her.

His eyes skimmed the area within after Olivia turned on the light. There was a workbench and some tools that were stored on hooks attached to a wallboard, a couple of children's bicycles, and about a dozen folding chairs and a few folding tables. He also saw something that was covered over with a cloth, too small to be a car. Daryl stared back at her with a questioning look.

"My Uncle Charlie died along with my mom, as you know, Daryl. He never married, never had any children," Olivia began.

Daryl patiently waited for her to continue. He wasn't sure why they were in the shed.

"Gran couldn't bring herself to get rid of his most prized possession." With that, she tucked the keys into her pocket and pulled off the cover to reveal the object underneath.

Daryl's breath caught in throat as his eyes soaked up what he saw in front of him. _T'fuck? _A 1970s Harley Shovelhead was right in front of him.

"She would start the engine every few days, just to be sure it was still running nicely," Olivia went on. "In her will, she asked that the motorcycle go to you. And a little bit of money. I'm working on getting that to you."

Daryl had nothing to say. Hell, he didn't know what to say. He shifted his weight from foot to foot as he was processing this. He began chewing on his thumbnail as his thoughts tumbled around in his mind. This was the motorcycle he saw in the photo on Mrs. Sullivan's end table. The young man must have been her Uncle Charlie.

"Can't take this," he muttered from behind his thumbnail.

"Daryl-"

"Said I can't take this, girl. It's too much. Can't repay ya."

Olivia moved to stand directly in front of Daryl, with one hand on her hip and one eyebrow raised. "Daryl Dixon, you listen good…..Gran left this to you for a reason. Uncle Charlie has no other living relatives except me and my sisters. That Harley is way too heavy for either of us and we don't know how to drive one or do whatever motorcycle people do."

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. _Damn, they really don't ride, do they?_

"Gran wouldn't have done that if she didn't think you deserved any of it. She wanted to do this. She wanted you to have it. Of course, if you want it."

Daryl finally nodded his assent.

"Good boy." Olivia grinned.

Daryl narrowed his eyes in response. _T'hell she think I am?_ "Ain't no damn dog and ain't no kid neither." She presented him with an even wider grin in answer.

Daryl's eyes traveled back to the motorcycle, his heart feeling light. His eyes roamed over the shiny chrome of the customized bike, from the ape hangers to the tailpipe. "Thanks, Ah-Livya."

_Huh….that's the first time he's called me by my name, _Olivia realized. _Progress._ _But I did just give him a motorcycle._ She hid her smile at his pronunciation of her name. For some reason, she liked the way it sounded.

* * *

The next 3 days passed by quickly. Olivia thought she never would have enough time to take care of errands, but she was impressed with her focus.

After having some banana and brown sugar oatmeal for breakfast, the Social Security Office was notified and her grandmother's clothing (most of it) was brought down to the Goodwill. She was glad that the clothing would go to people who could really use it.

Thank you notes were sent to some people who attended the funeral and reception: for Mrs. Alloway and Mrs. Taylor for their heartfelt songs, the pallbearers, for the many families who came out with a potluck covered dish for the reception.

She contacted the Department of Motor Vehicles and informed the worker she spoke with of her grandmother's passing, then she also made arrangements with the local tag and title agency regarding the donation of the old Buick to the church. While there, she also completed paperwork to switch ownership of the motorcycle from her Uncle Charlie to Daryl. When she discovered that the county was going to charge a tax for the inheritance, she went ahead and paid it so Daryl didn't have to bother with it.

Olivia asked for the donation of the Buick to be finalized later, right before she left for home, so that she had a vehicle to get around town. She figured she could always call for a taxi to take her back to the airport, same way she got to Gran's house.

While flipping through the folders that her grandmother had in a kitchen drawer, she came across the title to the car. She had set that aside. There was a file marked "Bills" and in that folder she found the envelope of cash marked with Daryl's name. She smiled. _Gran really was organized. Wasn't looking in the right place. _

Going through the folder, Olivia noticed that the electric and water bills were due soon, after she would already have left. She pulled her laptop from its case and paid the bills through the utilities' websites, so she didn't have to worry about it later.

Olivia sighed. _Geez, what do we do with the farm? _The idea of selling it made her chest hurt. There were so many fantastic memories here, she couldn't bear the thought of letting it go. The farm was a part of her family and she couldn't just say goodbye yet…

She logged off, shut down and closed up the laptop, placing it back into the case.

Making her way towards the back door, Olivia continued walking leisurely, stopping at the stable. She greeted the horses by name and took a brush off a hook in the wall and began brushing Nelly's coat.

The horse was standing so still, trying not to miss any of Olivia's comforting strokes. As she brushed, she talked to them. It was something she always did. She knew they were listening.

Nelly and Percy were old now, too old for her to ride. Olivia and her sisters rode them every summer when they were visiting. Now, the horses were just content to enjoy the rest of their lives on the farm.

Before moving away from Nelly, Olivia rubbed her cheek against the horse's cheek, and scratched the gentle mare behind the ears. Then, she turned and walked over to Percy's stall so she could give him some attention too.

As she was brushing Percy, Olivia was thinking of her own horse that she had at a stable in California. It was quite a distance from Santa Monica, so she didn't get a chance to ride that often. She missed her thoroughbred, Dumbledore, greatly. An ex-race horse, he had considerable power in those legs and she swore sometimes she was really flying through the air. Olivia relished the feel of the wind in her hair as Dumbledore raced from one end of the field to the other.

She continued brushing the horse in front of her, hoping the answer would come to her. She didn't want to sell the farmhouse and property. A part of her really didn't want to leave either.

Although she loved living in Santa Monica, it was just so different than being in Madison.

She loved the beautiful night sky, where you could see miles and miles of bright and twinkling stars and uninterrupted views of constellations. The fresh country air that filled her lungs. The chirp of crickets. The beauty of the woods. The quiet. _Huh….maybe there is a country girl inside of me_, she mused.

Olivia had gotten used to Madison and its population of about 4,000 people. Santa Monica had about 93,000 people, which was quite an adjustment when she first arrived.

Not to mention, there were many places in Santa Monica where she used to go with her ex-boyfriend. Sometimes, it bothered her to be reminded of him. What she would do to be able to have a fresh start, a new life…._yeah, that's just what I need._

The brush halted suddenly, in mid-stroke as Olivia's eyes widened in realization. Her mind was racing as her thoughts swirled around. She remembered hearing a tidbit of information as Mr. Greene, the town veterinarian, and Mrs. Kramser were talking at her grandmother's reception. Slowly, her head began to nod as she continued thinking about her idea and how to implement it.

* * *

Three days later, Daryl walked in through the front door, not bothering to knock anymore. He knew that Olivia would have left it unlocked, like she had the last time he was working there. Closing the screen door behind him, he heard her bustling about in the kitchen.

She looked up as he came into view and smiled. "Morning, Daryl."

"Mornin'," he answered, glancing at her from under his bangs. "Somethin' smells good."

He sat at his spot on one of the barstools and quietly observed her, looking away every so often, so he wouldn't be caught. For some reason, he didn't want Olivia to know what he was doing.

"Sure does. Nothing like blueberry pancakes and crispy bacon." Olivia called over her shoulder. "Do you want coffee or orange juice today?"

"Coffee's good," he replied, while he chewed on his thumbnail. She flipped the pancakes on the griddle and prepared the coffeemaker.

Collecting two plates from the cupboard, Olivia proceeded to stack three good-sized blueberry pancakes onto Daryl's plate, giving herself two. She arranged the bacon next to the pancake stack and garnished each dish with several large ripe strawberries sliced multiple times from the bottom up to the green leafy part, but not cut all the way through, spreading the fruit layers out like a fan.

_Good Lord_, Daryl thought as he caught a glimpse of the tasty breakfast being brought his way. His eyes roved over the artistic presentation of his food, grunting in pleasure.

Olivia giggled to herself. He looked like a little boy at Christmas, so eager to dig in. After placing the coffee in front of him, she sat down on her barstool to enjoy the heavenly breakfast herself.

Once Olivia sat, Daryl picked up the syrup and poured a generous amount over his pancake stack. He cut off a piece with his fork and pushed it in his mouth. He knew she made pancakes from scratch, not using that pre-packaged shit, so he had high expectations, which she met quite easily. He moaned in approval. _Jesus, need a smoke after this._

"Glad you approve," she smirked, bringing a slight blush to his cheeks.

Olivia took a deep breath and in excitement, blurted out, "Daryl, I decided I'm not going to sell the farmhouse."

He looked at her, in surprise, waiting patiently for her to go on.

She took in another breath. "I decided that I needed a fresh start in my life. And so, I will be selling my house in Santa Monica and moving here to the farmhouse, in Madison." Olivia waited for his reaction, to see what he thought of her idea. His opinion was important to her.

Her sisters thought it was a great plan, but as soon as they voiced their support, they realized that their baby sister would be moving more than two thousand miles away; their hearts just broke. Although both Samantha and Vanessa would miss her more than anything, they knew it was something Olivia needed. When she broke up with Evan, she lost a piece of herself. Both sisters were willing to do anything, to endorse anything that could bring back some happiness.

Daryl slowly digested the information he heard. He felt a lightness in his chest, not entirely sure if it was a good thing or not.

"When ya gonna do it?" He asked her. "How?"

Olivia giggled. "Well…I remembered a snippet of conversation, at Gran's reception. Mr. Greene mentioned he was looking to retire early next year, and he wanted to sell his practice. Neither of his children were interested in taking over. I contacted him to get more information."

Continuing, she explained, "Before he leaves the practice completely, I will be working with him to ease myself in and learn about his patients, getting introduced gradually. He is willing to accept monthly payments for the practice, instead of a lump sum. Once I sell my house, it would make things much easier of course. Plus, I discovered a local veterinary college about 25 miles away offering some summer courses. I want to take some classes to refresh my skills and familiarize myself with the care of rural animals. Large and small ruminants, poultry disease, equine surgery and internal medicine…."

"I have everything planned out. I thought long and hard about it, since it's such a huge endeavor. I already registered this morning at the veterinary college for three courses, which will start next month. And….I registered for the Large Animal Health Seminar in August which is hosted by Louisiana State. I've never been in Baton Rouge before, so I may just tack on an extra day for sightseeing before I fly back."

"Well?" Olivia looked at Daryl expectantly, smiling widely. "What do you think?"

All Daryl noticed was the light feeling in his chest and thinking about how beautiful she looked when she smiled. Her eyes twinkled when she smiled like that. She looked so damn happy.

The idea of her staying in Madison made his heart flutter. He was sure it was because he was relieved he wouldn't be losing his job; great pay, flexible hours, and the best food he had ever had in his life.

Chewing on his thumbnail, Daryl replied, "S'good, if that's what ya want."

"Oh, it is." Olivia grinned at him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:**

**This chapter focuses on Olivia in California, where you'll see more of her family and friends. There is a little bit of Daryl here.**

**The name Praew is pronounced "prow" like in brow, eyebrow. I had a friend from Thailand with that name. **

**Thank you for all the new reviews, follows, and favorites. I love it!**

**Chapter 8-Santa Monica, CA**

"Thanks for picking me up from the airport! You're the best," Olivia gushed at her friend Anna as she sat down in the passenger seat.

"No problem, Livy, that's what friends are for." Anna answered with a grin. Her smile disappeared as her brows furrowed in concern. "How are you doing?"

Olivia shrugged. "As good as can be expected, I guess….It was so hard in the beginning. Thought my heart would just shatter into a million tiny pieces."

"I wish I could have been there with you, you know, since Sammy and Nessie couldn't. I'm sure there were many things that you could have used help with on the farm."

Olivia smiled at her friend. "I know you would have flown out with me, but it's okay. You have your own family to take care of." She continued. "Besides, Daryl was there to help out with the farm work."

Her friend slowly turned to look at her out of the corner of her eye. Gradually, her face split into a knowing smile, growing wider by the second.

"Oh? Who's Daryl?" Anna looked slyly at Olivia.

"Stop it! It's not what you think," Olivia swatted at her friend.

"Hey! Don't distract the driver!" she demanded. "I gotta job to do."

Olivia huffed in annoyance. Ever since she and Evan broke up months ago, her sisters and her friends had tried to set her up with dates. True, she was so lonely, and she knew they meant well, but she was unsure if she could trust another man with her heart again. The pain of a broken heart was just so unbearable.

For the rest of the ride, Olivia talked about the farmhouse and the town it was in. Anna loved to hear about country living. It just sounded so….clean. Olivia's face was animated as she described the house in detail. She spoke of the horses and the chickens and the serene lake that was on the border of the property. As much as she babbled, Olivia didn't think she covered everything about Madison. It was obvious to Anna just how much she loved being there.

Once Anna turned into her street, Olivia sat up a little straighter, eager to see her house. She did miss the comfort of her own bed. After a few minutes, the one-story Mediterranean style house came into view. It wasn't a huge place, but for Olivia, the 2 bedroom abode was the perfect size. The house was painted in soft shades of cream, tan, and dark yellow, with a barrel tiled roof in a reddish terracotta color.

Anna pulled into the brick driveway and helped Olivia with her shoulder bag. Only one bag travelled with her, since Olivia knew she was returning to Madison. The carry-on she brought before stayed at the farmhouse. Luckily, she had bought two, just in case. Olivia wanted her luggage to match, for her sanity. She knew it would have driven her bonkers if she needed to buy extra pieces later, and if the style was discontinued, her luggage pieces would no longer be part of a set. So, she bought 2 of each piece. On her return trip back to Georgia, she would have her other carry-on and a checked piece, while the rest of the set would be filled with clothing and be placed on the moving truck.

Olivia thanked her friend once more and the girls hugged tightly before Anna started towards her car. "Give Ava a big hug for me," Olivia called out. Nodding, Anna reversed out of the driveway, waved, and drove off.

With a sigh, Olivia turned the key in the door and entered her house, closing and locking the door. She rushed over to the alarm keypad to punch in her code, preventing the alarm from going off.

Tossing her keys into the trinket bowl set on the entry table, she took out her cellphone from her purse. She promised Daryl when he dropped her off at the airport, that she would call as soon as she got home, no matter what time it was in Georgia. It was so nice of him to offer so she didn't have to take a taxi. When she tried to thank him for his trouble he flapped his hand at her and said he just didn't want to see her get ripped off by the jacked up taxi fares.

Olivia was looking forward to talking to her friend again. Kicking off her shoes, she flopped down on her sofa with a tired sigh.

On the third ring, she heard a raspy voice thick with sleep answer. "Ah-Livya? Ya back already?"

"Yeah."

"Good flight?"

"It was a smooth flight, no delays. Can't ask for anything better," she answered with a smile.

"Don't worry 'bout yer Gran's house. I said Imma lookin' after things while ya gone to take care of business over there."

"Thank you, Daryl." _He really is so sweet._

He grunted. "G'night, girl."

"Goodnight, Daryl. Sleep tight."

Daryl was relieved Olivia returned safely to California. He had laid in bed, determined to wait up for her call, but he had a long and shitty day and found himself asleep in no time. He didn't know why, but his heart felt heavy, which didn't improve his mood. Shutting his eyes tightly, he returned to his fitful slumber.

* * *

Bright and early the next morning, Olivia was too excited to lounge around in bed, springing up to get ready for the day. She had a whole long list of tasks to complete and errands to run.

Once she was dressed, she grabbed a bowl of cereal with organic milk for breakfast, while she called Sammy to tell her that she had arrived. Communication was kind of intermittent in Nessie's location, so she figured that talking to Sammy would be enough for now.

Taking her purse and the keys from the entry table, she exited the house through the garage. Olivia was happy to see her own car again. She wasn't much for fancy designer stuff like Nessie was, but she loved her little sports car with all her heart. It wasn't brand new, being a few years old when she bought it, but she loved it all the same. God knows she wouldn't be able to afford it brand new. The car was a graduation present to herself for all the excruciating hours she poured into medical school. Her social life during college and medical school was nonexistent, but hey, she did graduate in the top 5% of her class.

Olivia opened the garage door and locked it behind her. Once she started the car, she pulled the lever that allowed the car's roof to retract and tuck into the back slot, folding up into itself. While waiting, she put on her sunglasses. Once the raised hood of the trunk lowered onto the folded roof, protecting it, and the console light indicated completion, she backed out of the garage carefully, the California sun embracing her in its warmth. After the garage door closed, she headed out to the first of many destinations.

About 1 hour later, through horrendous traffic, she pulled up into the tiny parking lot and met with her real estate agent to have her property listed for sale. Later, Olivia drove over to Chase to close out her bank account, which was a shame. She'd been with that bank for many years, but Madison did not have a branch. She would need to open an account at the Suntrust or Regions Bank. Olivia made sure to keep some cash with her for her use, so she didn't need to rely solely on her credit card.

Next, she stopped by the veterinary office where she worked to talk to her boss and give her a formal resignation letter. Her last day would be in 3 1/2 weeks. Olivia adored her boss, Louise, and viewed her as a friend. She would really miss everyone there, especially the patients she had grown to love so quickly. Some of her little patients started with her when they were just puppies and kittens.

At the store, Olivia picked up some groceries and empty boxes for packing. She would definitely need a lot more, but her little car did not have much extra space, even after flattening the boxes. For one person, she certainly accumulated a huge amount of stuff. Placing the groceries into the large soft cooler on what little back seat she had, she started the car up yet once again. Ice packs were placed in the cooler, which would allow cold items to stay within a good temperature for a while.

Her last stop was at Sammy's house to see everyone and to pick up her "baby".

The front door opened before Olivia even shut off the engine.

"Livy!" Samantha called out in glee. "Oh my God, I missed you so much!" Immediately, a pout appeared on her face. "Oh, boo! You're moving away from me." She wrapped her arms around her sister and squeezed.

Olivia squeezed right back, but not too hard, giving her sister a light kiss on the cheek. She stepped back and admired the beautiful glow Samantha had. More than 8 months pregnant and she still managed to look so put together. This pregnancy was so much easier than the first. Olivia remembered how much Samantha threw up for most of that pregnancy. In the previous third trimester, the nausea and vomiting finally eased up. In the current pregnancy, she hardly ever had any issues with vomiting.

She followed Samantha into the house. As soon as the front door opened, a blur of chocolate brown fur flashed before she felt two heavy paws and a wet tongue attack her legs.

"Oh, he-llo, he-llo, you sweet little thing you." Olivia squatted down to pet and kiss her dog. She tried desperately to keep her face out of the line of fire. It didn't work. The dog managed to get in several licks. "Oh, phew! What have you been eating? Uggh!" She cried in disgust, wrinkling her brows.

Laughing, Samantha told her Godiva was just chewing on a dried cow hoof.

"You can stop laughing now," Olivia said flatly, not enjoying being the source of her sister's amusement, especially with the horrible odor that she could still smell on herself.

Olivia went to wash off her face in the bathroom when she saw a little face peeking out from around the corner. "Mika!" She called. "Are you hiding from Aunt Livy?"

There was no warning but for several soft giggles right before Olivia felt the toddler launch herself towards her legs. Olivia wrapped her arms around her niece, marveling at how soft the little girl's skin felt and soaking up all the loving that was offered freely to her. Gently, she pried the girl off her legs to get to the bathroom to wash up. "Auntie needs to clean up," she explained. "I'll be right out. And then I'm gonna give you a thousand kisses!" She exclaimed with wide eyes. Olivia noted with amusement that Mika imitated her, the girl's own eyes going wide as she took in this information.

Sure enough, once Olivia exited the bathroom, she scooped up the little girl in her arms and didn't stop giving her niece all the smooches she promised, to the toddler's delight. Olivia started with Mika's forehead and proceeded to each cheek, then she munched on the girl's stomach, and then worked her way down each chubby leg, all the way down to her pudgy bare feet. Laughter and giggles echoed all throughout the house.

Samantha laughed as she took in the scene, shaking her head in amusement.

Later, the girls were settled around the kitchen table for lunch. Mika was propped up in her brand new booster seat.

"Auntie, auntie, look!" Mikayla wanted to show Olivia that she was a big girl now. She didn't need her high chair anymore. Now she had a big girl's booster seat at the table.

"Oh, Mika, aren't you such a big girl now," she praised.

Sitting up even taller, Mikayla beamed up at her aunt. "Uh-huh." Olivia looked over at her niece. Now that her features have matured some more, it was much easier to see she was the spitting image of Sammy, but for her hair. The little girl had dirty blonde hair like her daddy.

After lunch, Samantha put her young daughter down for her afternoon nap. The two sisters looked forward to some one-on-one time. They gravitated towards the inviting sofa.

"Thank you for heading out to take care of Gran's things. I wish I could have gone with you," Samantha began.

"Don't worry about it, Sammy. You couldn't really travel at this stage of the pregnancy. You know Gran. She wouldn't have any of that."

She laughed. "You're right, Livy."

Samantha looked at her sister pointedly. "It bums me out that you're moving so far away. I've gotten so used to you being about 30 minutes away." She sighed. "But I understand. Nessie does too. We know you have to. You want a new start on life. There are too many reminders here…Evan was such an ass. You didn't need his shit."

"Yeah, he really was….but it's not JUST that. I loved, absolutely loved my time in Georgia. Even though I was grieving for Gran. It was so peaceful, so beautiful there. So quiet. A fresh start is just what I need to take my life in a different direction. I'll be my own boss now." She smirked.

"You won't really know anyone there, but you never had trouble making friends and meeting new people anyway. Nessie is just like you. You're both such social butterflies," Samantha said.

"Yeah, I'll miss you guys, and Anna the most. And oh, my God….and Praew. Her fantastic cooking. Remember the pad Thai she brought to the potluck you had last time?"

"Oh, God," Samantha groaned, "that was the best I've ever had. I've been having such intense cravings for Thai food the last 3 weeks…for lunch every day. Thank God the place down the street delivers. Just can't get enough. The cravings finally eased up a bit the last day or two."

"Hmm, maybe if I beg hard enough she can part with some of her recipes…" Olivia thought out loud. "I really didn't see a lot of ethnic restaurants down in Madison. I love Thai just as much you do," she pointed out.

"Oh, you better share those recipes with me!" Samantha ordered.

"You always were the bossy one."

"I'm the oldest. That's my right," Samantha retorted smugly.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Yeah, by about 15 minutes. Big deal."

"Thanks for lunch, sis. I've gotta get going," Olivia stood up and gave her sister a kiss on the cheek. "Back to work tomorrow, and I've got lots to pack."

"I wish I could help you. There's so much on your shoulders now."

"That's okay. Anna and Praew have been recruited. You shouldn't strain yourself, you know. Baby boy is going to come into this world soon. You call me if you need anything." Olivia instructed. "Give hubby my greetings, will you?"

"Oh! Before I forget, here's the pearl necklace that Gran left for Nessie. You'll pass it along to her for me?" Olivia pulled the package from her purse, unrolling the T-shirt to reveal the beautiful jewelry hidden inside. By the time Vanessa returned from her volunteer mission, Olivia would have already left.

"I'll give it to her when she gets back," Samantha promised, placing it on the end table, making a mental note to put it up higher before Mika woke up from her nap. The toddler would have thought it was her new toy.

Olivia gathered up her puppy and some of her things, then turned and left through the front door, locking it behind her so Samantha didn't have to get up. The little puppy could hardly contain her excitement, its furry body gyrated in a multitude of directions.

* * *

The next few weeks went by in a whirlwind of activity.

Ten days ago, after 22 hours of labor, Oliver Stephen Bennett came into the world, at a healthy 7 pounds, 12 ounces. Olivia was one proud aunt, finding it difficult to let go of her nephew. He had the most delicious "baby smell" she had ever encountered. She was content to sit and cradle him in her arms while he slept so peacefully, swaddled snugly in his blanket.

In-between work and packing, she found time to help Samantha around the house; tidying up, cooking, laundry. Anna and Praew came in to help when Olivia was at work. Being the same age, the sisters shared the same friends, more or less. Vanessa was the most social out of the three of them, while Olivia and Samantha preferred a smaller circle of contacts. Naturally, some people gravitated towards one person more than the other, so it was Anna and Olivia who became best friends.

During the labor process and for the next two nights afterwards, Mika stayed with Olivia at night so her parents didn't have to worry and just focus on the new arrival. Olivia picked her up each day from the daycare. Olivia had a hard time keeping up with her niece's endless amount of energy. One afternoon, she was determined to find a way to use up some of that extra energy and ended up encouraging Mika to do as many jumping jacks as she could and run as fast as she could in the backyard. It didn't seem to work. The little girl was just as lively as ever. Olivia found sleep coming as soon as her head hit the pillow. _Geez, how does my sister do it, _she thought as her eyelids fluttered shut, amazed that such a little body could contain so much vigor.

Most everything was packed and labelled in neat boxes, ready for the moving company to pick up. Not only did she mark the contents of each box, she also noted which room of the house the box was for, to save time when unpacking. Looking around the house, Olivia felt a pang of sadness. After all, she did live here for quite a few years. It was almost like yesterday when she and her sisters were unloading the boxes into the empty rooms…

Olivia arranged for a company that actually specialized in moving pianos to take care of her prized 1920s Steinway. She bought it from the family of the original owner. Fortunately, nobody in the family played and they just wanted to get rid of it, so it wasn't too expensive. From her research, Olivia knew Steinways were not cheap. She just loved the history of it and the lines of its Art Deco styling. Olivia just loved old things; they had their own unique stories.

She was sad to see that the keys were made of ivory, how she loved those gentle elephants, but that was part of its history; ivory was the original material used for piano keys. Two keys were chipped on the ends, which was normal for ivory, but she opted not to replace them, in order to preserve the history of the item. Olivia was very glad that pianos had plastic keys nowadays.

Although all three girls grew up with ballet lessons and piano lessons, only Olivia continued to play the instrument. She didn't expect people to pay to listen to her, she really wasn't that good, but she found it to be relaxing and she was amazed at the beautiful sounds she could create.

The garage sale Olivia held last weekend managed to bring in some money for the sofa and loveseat and dinette set that she no longer needed. The farmhouse had living room furniture already, in addition to barstools and a large dining table. Anna and Praew had items to sell as well, so the three friends made it a group affair. Anna had toys and clothing from when Ava was a baby. Her daughter was going on 4. Praew's mother had some knickknacks and small pieces of furniture she wanted to get rid of. The girls had so much fun, gossiping and chatting when business was slow, and working their way around the crowded tables talking to potential buyers when it was busy. It was a very interesting experience for all of them.

Olivia planned out where to place the furniture that was coming with her to Madison. Her queen bed can go in one of the bedrooms upstairs in the farmhouse. It wasn't very old, only a few months. Olivia remembered bitterly why she had to buy it. The curio cabinet that housed her doll collection could be placed in-between the living room and dining room. And the piano would be nestled in the living room. Other than that, she didn't have any other big pieces.

* * *

Her last day in California arrived quickly. Olivia was treated to lunch by her sister and friends, at Lemonade, one of Olivia's favorite places in Venice.

Samantha called for a toast to Olivia after their orders were placed. All glasses were raised as Samantha spoke, "We wish you the best of luck and much happiness in your new life in Georgia. I know we will all miss you terribly and are so sad to see you go, but at the same time, we are happy that you have a chance at a fresh start. May you find peace and joy in all you do. And may you find the love that you deserve. We love you so much, my sister and best friend."

A chorus of "here, here" and "love you" was heard as the ladies clinked their glasses, while wiping at their eyes with their free hands. Olivia smiled and thanked her sister and friends.

When her Red Miso Beef Short Ribs arrived, Olivia moaned in pleasure. The girls had a good laugh, but understood how satisfying a great meal can be, since they made the same exact show of appreciation when their own meals arrived. At the end of their lunch, no one was able to pass up dessert. Olivia wished she had a bigger stomach so that she could keep eating.

On a whim, she decided to buy an extra cupcake, Chocolate Buttercream, for Daryl, as a token of gratitude. He insisted on picking her up at the airport tomorrow. Anna shot her a knowing look, which was met with a glare from Olivia. Anna decided for her own safety she wasn't going to press the issue.

When it was time to leave, the tears came, even though they all agreed no tears were to be shed. First, Sammy's eyes misted over, which made Olivia begin to feel the lump in her throat. _Oh, my God….this is it. I'm going,_ she thought.

Praew turned to Olivia. "I'm going to miss you so much." Olivia sniffled. They met Praew during freshman year of high school. The following year, the sisters befriended Anna. Other people came and went over the years, but the two women were a constant.

Olivia reached out to hug her friend, holding on tightly. Sammy called for a group hug and moved to join them, as well as Anna.

Anna pulled away and with teary eyes she smiled at her friend. "Promise me you'll keep in touch every day." Anna noted the lump in her throat while a tear slid down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly.

"I will," Olivia promised as she rubbed at her eyes. With her last goodbyes, Olivia turned and headed to where her car was parked.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9-Madison, GA**

Daryl pulled into a parking space at the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport and slid out, stretching his legs. It was about an hour's drive from Madison, but he didn't mind. He loved either driving his truck or riding his bike. It was peaceful and he relished the quiet beauty of the road, making that hour zip right by.

His steady strides brought him inside the terminal. This was only his second time inside the airport, but already he felt like he knew the place like the back of his hand.

His eyes flickered over the monitor, just to ensure he had the most accurate information. Olivia reminded him that sometimes information changed after it was published. Her flight was still arriving on time at Gate 12. _Good. _Turning on his heel, he made his way towards his destination. The security checkpoint was positioned in front of Gates 1-12.

After about 15 minutes, he noticed a trickle of people walking out from the security area. His sharp eyes searched for her familiar grin. Within another 15 minutes, he was rewarded with it, as Olivia followed her fellow passengers through the gate, carrying a shoulder bag while pulling her carry-on suitcase, and holding onto an animal carrier all at the same time. Her grin widened when she spotted him in the crowd.

"Daryl!" Olivia smiled up at him. "Thank you for picking me up. It was so nice of you to offer. I hope it wasn't too much trouble for you."

"Nah," he waved his hand dismissively. He heard a long whine coming from the carrier. "Ain't no trouble. Gotta get yer luggage now." He bent down and was nearly eye-to-eye with a puppy that was wiggling so much the carrier was starting to bounce. "Hey liddol girl. Yer gonna be out soon, 'kay?" He stood up again while the brown puppy whined once more before giving a short bark.

She turned to him with a smirk. "So Daryl Dixon, did you miss me while I was gone?"

Daryl just rolled his eyes and flapped his hand toward the baggage claim area. He took the shoulder bag from her. "Goddamn, this is heavy. Whatcha got in here? Gold bricks?" He grumbled. She just laughed. _Girl's always laughing. T'fuck is so funny?_

At the baggage area, they waited for the luggage belt to start up. "What color are yer bags? Grey?" Daryl inquired, as he noted the grey shoulder bag and carry-on.

"Yep, grey. The luggage tag is a big green frog, if that helps." Olivia added with a sheepish grin, "I like frogs."

Fortunately, they didn't have to wait too long. An alarm blared twice, flashing its red light and the luggage belt started with a jerk and one by one, suitcases appeared, circling round and round on the carousel.

"Oh! There it is!" She shouted suddenly. "I only have one large piece. The rest of my stuff is coming on the moving truck."

Quickly, Daryl reached over and grabbed her suitcase from the luggage carousel, checking the tag just to make sure it was labelled with her name. "T'hell? Ya got a diff'rent name from yer Gran? Not Sullivan?" Daryl asked.

She smiled at him. "Yeah. My mom was born a Sullivan, but she ended up marrying a Walker. My sister Sammy married a Bennett and changed her name too. My other sister Nessie says she's going to hyphenate."

"Whatcha gonna do with yer name?" Daryl asked curiously.

"I would change my name." She shrugged. "I guess I'm old-fashioned that way. I like tradition." A flash of sadness appeared on her face and was quickly erased. _Doubt if I'll find anyone so I guess it won't matter._

Daryl's observant eyes picked up on the change in her expression. He was puzzled as to why she looked so sad. A girl like that would have plenty of men to choose from. Good men. _Not assholes like me._

Daryl started leading the way out to his truck. He carried the shoulder bag for her, not bothering with the carry-on Olivia still had, since it was small and was wheeled anyway. He pulled the large, heavy suitcase behind him. He thought the puppy would be more comfortable with Olivia and did not offer to take the carrier.

Once they got outside, Olivia found a patch of grass to the side. They both put down their baggage. Getting out the leash from her shoulder bag, she opened the carrier and hooked it to her puppy's collar, so that she could let her roam around and pee if necessary.

"Daryl, could you hold this?" Olivia asked, handing him the end of the leash. "I want to put in a fresh pad inside the carrier, just in case."

She took out an empty grocery bag from the front pocket of the shoulder bag. Inserting her hand in it, like a glove, she reached in to the carrier, rolling up the soiled Wee Wee pad into a ball, then flipping the bag back away from her hand, tying a knot at the top, and tossing it into the garbage can nearby. She had placed her old T-shirt in the carrier for the trip, so that the scent of it could comfort her puppy, but that also was soaked as well and was tossed out along with the pad. Taking out a fresh pad from her carry-on suitcase, she placed it in the bottom of the carrier and then she cleaned her hands off on a wipe from her shoulder bag.

After the puppy dog relieved herself, they were headed out to Daryl's truck. When Olivia had moved to put the dog back inside the carrier, Daryl called out to her to stop, so that the dog can ride with them in the front seat. He didn't want that dog to be cooped up again in that plastic box. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the look of gratitude Olivia gave him.

The ride back out to the farmhouse was quiet, each person preoccupied with their own thoughts; even the dog was quietly reflecting on life, it seemed.

Daryl pulled up slowly to the farmhouse. Looking over to his right, he saw both of his passengers fast asleep, with the puppy curled up in its owner's lap and Olivia's arm wrapped around her. Olivia's face was turned towards him. Daryl didn't know why, but he couldn't tear his eyes away. He took his chance now to study her features; smooth and creamy skin, with a light sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of her nose, dark eyebrows perfectly arched, long dark lashes that rested under her eyelids, and full lips that had a rosy pink blush to them. Daryl felt a fluttering in his belly. Flustered, he shoved that feeling away just as soon as he noticed it.

"Liv, we're….yer home now," he spoke softly. Daryl didn't want to startle her. The puppy lifted its head and yawned, looking around curiously, while Olivia's eyes fluttered open, revealing emeralds flecked with gold. The first thing she noticed were two sky blue eyes peering at her. _They're so blue,_ she thought. She smiled.

Sitting up, Olivia realized they were parked right outside the farmhouse. Moaning softly, she stretched out her arms as much as she could in the truck, causing a bit of heat to warm Daryl's cheeks. "Sorry I wasn't much company. I didn't mean to fall asleep," she said, her voice thick with sleep.

"Nah, no problem. Yer tired from such a long flight. Body needed the rest."

Daryl hopped out of the truck and moved to open the door for her. _He really is so sweet,_ she thought with a tiny smile. Somehow she didn't think that's what he wanted people to say about him. "Thank you, Daryl."

"S'nothing," he muttered, not used to people showing appreciation. Mrs. Sullivan always thanked him too and he never was completely comfortable with it.

Daryl gathered up the luggage and the empty dog carrier from the truck bed. Olivia came by to take up the smaller carry-on suitcase and carrier from Daryl.

"I got it. Go on 'head 'n open the door."

"Are you sure? I can just grab those," she offered.

"Just go 'n quit arguin', girl," Daryl replied gruffly. Olivia grinned while she started walking towards the house with her keys. She was used to his snappy demeanor now. Over the weeks, she discovered that was just how he was; nothing personal.

After the first phone call when she arrived back in Santa Monica, she found herself calling him about every other day, just to chat. Well….she mostly chatted while Daryl listened. He had a gruff manner, but she enjoyed the time she spent with him on the phone. Olivia realized she missed his company.

Olivia was bringing out glasses of cold water when Daryl brought in the rest of the luggage. After the puppy drank her fill of water from a bowl on the ground, she began running around on the floor, sniffing at just about anything she encountered, and then sprinting to the next part of the room, ears flopping.

Olivia handed a glass to Daryl, who took it with a nod. He didn't realize how thirsty he was, finishing the drink within seconds.

"Oh, before I forget….I got a little something for you from one of my favorite places. We had lunch there yesterday." Olivia unzipped her shoulder bag, causing Godiva to stop what she was doing and stare for a second or two. Most likely the puppy thought there was something for her. Olivia plucked out a white paper bag that had 'lemonade' written in cursive. The word was written on a lined and dotted section that reminded him of those lined papers that really little kids learned to write letters on. Intrigued, he took the bag when she offered it to him.

"Chocolate Buttercream cupcake. As a token of thanks," she explained.

Daryl's cheeks flushed lightly as he began to chew on the inside of one cheek. "Nah. Don't need to thank me," he said as he peeked out from behind his bangs.

"Yes, I do," Olivia insisted. You do so much for me, Daryl. I want to show you how much I appreciate it."

With a nod, Daryl accepted her thanks.

The puppy ran over to Olivia and bumped its cold nose into her leg. Olivia bent down to scratch the puppy behind her ears. "You like it here, Godiva, don't you? Yesh you do, oh yesh you do," she smiled as she spoke.

Godiva left Olivia and leaned her head against Daryl's leg, eager to get some more attention. Daryl put the glass down on the coffee table nearby and picked up the puppy, who was wiggling with excitement and whining with anticipation. He wrapped his arms around the body of the dog, while its tongue was reaching for his face.

Just then, a low rumbling resonated from Olivia's stomach. Embarrassed, she quickly wrapped her arms around her mid-section.

Daryl smirked. "Hungry?"

"Yeah, I guess so," she grinned. "Let me see what I can make."

"Nah. Let's go out 'n grab somethin'. Ya just got off the plane, don't need ta cook. Whaddya want? Ain't got too many choices 'round here. A Chick-Fil-A. Asian shit. Mexican shit. Barbecue shit. 'N the café. 'N there's a couple 'a fancy-ass places too."

"Hmmmm." She thought for a moment. "I'm dying for some Chinese. Veggies!"

Daryl groaned. "Ya sure like yer veggies."

She looked at him pointedly. "What do you have against veggies? They're good for you."

"Don't mind 'em, just that yer obsessed with them things," he grumbled.

Olivia laughed. "Let's go already, before my stomach decides to complain again. Let me put out some food for her first. Oh, and geez. Some of her toys too. Otherwise, she'll just destroy this place."

"I'm going to put her in the bathroom, so she can't make too much of a mess," Olivia said as she took the puppy from Daryl and headed to the downstairs bathroom. Shutting the door after her, she pulled out a Ziploc bag of puppy food from her carry-on and poured some in a bowl from a cupboard. "Can you get the door for me, Daryl?" Olivia asked, holding the bowls of water and food for her puppy. Daryl got the door opened with one hand, and immediately positioned his other hand to keep the puppy from escaping. Olivia set both bowls down on the ground. "There you are sweetie, eat up," she smiled affectionately, looking at how much the puppy wiggled.

The puppy happily sniffed at the food and then quickly tucked in, crunching on the tiny pieces of kibble. Opening the door again, while the dog was occupied, Olivia placed a few of its favorite toys nearby: a stuffed cloth octopus that squeaked, a squeaky squirrel, a Nylabone, and a teddy bear. Before Olivia packed up the toys, she checked to make sure there weren't any loose parts on the toys that could pose as a safety hazard to her pup. She also spread out another Wee Wee pad on the bathroom floor, to facilitate cleanup.

"Now ya ready, girl?" Daryl asked.

* * *

Daryl and Olivia found a table easily at the Happy China, since it was a week night. While looking over the menu, Olivia asked, "What do you usually get here? What are you getting tonight?"

"Don't eat out too much, but when Imma here, I git the sweet 'n sour chicken. Ain't really tried other shit, just egg rolls 'n soup."

"Do you want to order family style, and share our dishes?" Olivia asked as she sipped her hot tea.

"Yeah, s'okay. Ya not gonna get some weird shit, are ya?" he asked her suspiciously.

Laughing, she replied, "No, this is mostly Americanized Chinese food. Nothing weird or unusual here. When I was in New York, I sampled all sorts of interesting things. In the authentic restaurants. Ohhh, it was so good," she moaned. Daryl felt a slight tingle when he heard her moan. He shifted in his seat.

Her eyes continued to skim the menu. "Oh! They have it here!" She nearly shouted, startling Daryl in the process.

"Sorry," she grinned. Olivia was practically bouncing in her seat. "I got so excited to see something more authentic here. Singapore Mei Fun. Rice vermicelli noodles with shrimp, roast pork, and chicken, flavored with a dry curry spice. Not too spicy, although some places really do add more kick than others. I think you'll love this, Daryl."

"Ain't curry in Indian shit?" Daryl picked up his teacup and sipped. Noticing how empty Olivia's cup was, he lifted the teapot and refilled her cup. Olivia smiled at him in thanks.

"Well, curry is found in Indian food, yes, but it's also used in many other cuisines too. Asian and South African."

Daryl grunted in reply.

"How about Pepper Steak for the other dish to share? We should get egg rolls too. Oh my God! I love those things!" Olivia suggested.

"Yeah," Daryl replied. He couldn't suppress the upwards tug that was forming at the corner of his mouth. Her enthusiasm was almost infectious.

Once the server had taken their orders, Daryl found himself feeling awkward. He started nibbling on his thumbnail, while glancing across at Olivia.

"Thank you again, Daryl for watching over the farmhouse while I was gone. It made me feel comfortable to know that you were there. I really hope you didn't mind doing that and staying in the house. I know you have your own place with Merle."

Daryl certainly didn't mind staying in the farmhouse. He had a decent place all to himself. _Didn't have ta hear Merle fuckin' some skank. _ _Didn't have ta tell Merle to clean up after his own ugly ass. _

"Ain't no problem, Liv."

"Did I make enough food for you? I felt bad that there wasn't anyone here to cook," Olivia lamented.

Daryl huffed. "Shit, ya cooked 'n froze enough food fer a damn army, girl. Still a few things left in the freezer. Didn't have ta do that." He looked down, feeling something weird in his belly. Annoyed, he pushed that feeling away. His eyes glanced up again, meeting her gaze from across the table.

Olivia smiled. "It's the least I could do."

"Didn't have ta gimme the whole month's pay too, before ya went," he muttered. She also gave him the $5,000 that her Gran had bequeathed in her will. Daryl never had that much money before in his whole life and he was at a loss on what to do with it. He did know he needed to keep his money hidden from Merle, who would most likely blow it all on booze and pussy.

"Well, it wouldn't be fair to make you wait until I got back, right?"

Daryl did not have reply for her.

Olivia asked, "Did you like the soap I left for you?"

Other than his toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, and some clothing, Daryl didn't bring anything else with him for his stay at the farmhouse. Olivia said nothing else was needed.

He was surprised to find the downstairs bedroom made up for him; clean fresh sheets and a nice comforter. So different from the stained, threadbare sheets and worn blanket he had at his own house. The bed had a mattress that felt like a cloud in Heaven, plush but firm.

In the bathroom, Olivia left him an assortment of shampoo and conditioner, soap, razors, and shaving cream, and several thick towels. His favorite was the soap. The label stated 'Lemongrass and Ginger'. Spicy, not girly at all. It was a clean natural scent that he savored.

"Yeah, s'alright," he answered with a shrug.

"Good. I knew Gran loves rose, gardenia, and lavender scented soaps and I didn't think you wanted to smell like flowers," she smirked. "I thought you might like something spicier."

Once their egg rolls arrived, they both eagerly grabbed them by one end, but letting go quickly once the heat burned into their skin, causing them to blow on their fingers. After cutting them open and letting them cool a bit, they were able to take in the crunch of the egg roll and the sweetness of the duck sauce they dipped it in.

Soon, the other dishes were brought to their table.

"Well….what do you think?" She asked after watching Daryl put a forkful of the rice noodles into his mouth, monitoring his face while he chewed thoughtfully.

He shrugged. "Not bad," he replied after he swallowed, reaching out for more.

At the end of the meal, they broke open their fortune cookies.

"Mine says, 'A lifetime friend shall soon be made'. What does yours say, Daryl?"

Daryl cracked open his fortune cookie and pulled the tiny slip of paper out. "'T'time has come ta allow yer heart ta guide ya'. T'fuck?"

A tiny giggle escaped her lips. "I don't think that last part was in the fortune, huh?"

* * *

On the way back to the house, it was quiet in the truck, but not awkward. Out of curiosity, Daryl asked, "Why were ya in New York?" He wanted to know as much as he could about this girl, which confused the shit out of him. He never cared about getting to know anyone else.

"I went to Cornell in upstate New York. It has a fantastic veterinary program. On the weekends, my friends and I would take the train and go exploring. We would pick different boroughs, different destinations. Manhattan is my favorite. Times Square, Statue of Liberty. And Chinatown. You could spend all day wandering the streets. There's always so much to see and do." Olivia continued. "I wouldn't want to live there though….so many people! It's always so crowded and busy. Very hectic. I prefer to live where it's quieter, like some of the smaller cities upstate."

"How long were ya there fer?"

"For 4 years, with residencies at a couple of veterinary hospitals," Olivia replied. "Have you ever been to New York, Daryl?"

"Pffft," he scoffed. "Ain't ever been outta Georgia."

She looked at him in wonder. "Ever? Maybe one day."

**Author's Note:**

**Thank you for the continued support, reviews, follows, and faves. **

**Olivia is finally back in Madison! Woo-hoo! Now they can continue to build their relationship. Sweet Daryl always makes me smile.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:**

**I am job hunting now, hoping to find full time employment, so updates won't come twice a week like they were before. So sad…..I just want to stay at home and keep reading and writing fanfic.**

**Not to mention that it took me so long to figure out how to post my first chapter on this new-fangled technology I just kept writing until I was able to, which allowed me to work ahead. I'm happy to report that each time, I am faster at posting, so there is hope for me yet with computers.**

**Just a little reminder that there will be smut in the story, as soon as I stop blushing long enough to write it, heheheheh. **

**Thanks so much guys for your reviews, favorites, and follows!**

_**Chapter 10-Madison, GA**_

_Whew!_ Olivia had nearly forgotten how much work was involved in a move. She lived at her Santa Monica home pretty much right after she graduated and found employment. And that was only a move from a city that was about 20 miles out. This cross-country move was just killing her!

The men from the moving company arrived about two days after she did. Boxes and boxes of stuff were still piled into each room. Godiva was having a ball, with so many new scents filling her with curiosity, as she sniffed one box after the other, tail waving to and fro.

Olivia was glad she had Mabel, the young college girl, come by to clean before they arrived. This way, once the boxes came, she just needed to unpack and not worry about cleaning. She knew she had to hurry up and put her things away to make room for the piano that was coming. Olivia had decided to rearrange the living room furniture so that the piano could be placed in a corner, but she would need Daryl's help.

Hopefully, when school started everything would be put away by then. She really wanted to be settled in already. That gave her about 2 weeks.

While Daryl was minding the house when she was gone, the textbooks she ordered had arrived. She asked him to put those boxes on the kitchen counter, separate from the moving boxes that would be placed on the floor. She was glad he remembered. What a nightmare it would be if those packages got lost in all this chaos.

A small smile appeared on her face as she thought of Daryl. _He's just so sweet._ She really appreciated his help and she treated him to their Chinese dinner the other night as a way to show her gratitude. He offered to take care of their meals, but Olivia insisted, as a way to repay him for his trouble. After shooting him a raised eyebrow in answer to his scowl, he conceded and she ended up taking care of the bill.

The auto transport company called and informed her that her car would be arriving some time tomorrow afternoon, much to her relief. She disliked calling a taxi. Daryl, when he wasn't working, brought her around town to do errands. Though she enjoyed spending time with him, a part of her missed her independence. She liked not having to depend on someone else, but if she were completely honest, she also liked having someone to depend on as well. It was a good feeling, knowing that someone was there for you.

By 11:45, her stomach decided to rumble out a complaint. Last night, she placed some of the lasagna that was in the freezer to defrost in the refrigerator and she was eagerly looking forward to a nice Italian lunch. While the lasagna was cooking in the microwave, she prepared her salad, by adding tomato wedges to the greens she poured from a bag of pre-packaged salad and rinsed through twice. She topped it with some sliced onions and few croutons. A little ramekin held Italian dressing so she didn't have to pour it on top.

The day after Olivia arrived, she headed out with Daryl to pick up fresh produce and milk, so her refrigerator was well-stocked. He didn't think a taxi would have been a good idea and had offered to take her to the Ingles Market. Olivia was slightly disappointed since she would have preferred to go to the Whole Foods, but the nearest one was in Johns Creek; over an hour away and she didn't want Daryl to go through even more trouble because of her. Back in Santa Monica, she lived close to three of them and had her pick on which one she shopped at. Perhaps she was spoiled….

After lunch, Olivia managed to unpack everything for the kitchen, bedroom, and bathrooms. As much as she wanted to leave things the way they were, she couldn't help but feel that she should personalize her new home instead of leaving it the way her Gran had decorated. So, with that thought, she had unpacked her favorite cutlery set and butcher's block and lovingly boxed up the set that her grandmother had used for nearly a decade. Olivia moved about the kitchen, setting out her own mixer and putting away Gran's. She sighed. A part of her was sentimental about replacing the items. She just might keep these up in the attic until she decided what to do with them. She could always donate them to Goodwill. It would be a shame to just let them sit up there when there could be people who needed them.

The rest of the day was spent shopping for any school supplies that Olivia needed: notebooks, binders, paper, and some extra pens. She was hoping this was the last time she would need a taxi. Olivia still had her backpack from college. Luckily it wasn't too banged up and she would be able to reuse it. Usually, Olivia didn't like spending money unless it was necessary, although she splurged on an item or two here and there. Yeah, the pack was more than ten years old, but she didn't mind. She didn't have to have the newest clothing or the latest trend. It was just a plain navy blue Jansport with a leather bottom. It was sturdy and it would serve its purpose. That's all that mattered to her.

* * *

The next morning, Olivia was pulling out a casserole from the oven when Daryl strolled into the kitchen, carrying Godiva in his arms while she wriggled around and tried to lick his face.

"Mornin'," Daryl said, with a quirk of his lips.

Olivia turned to look at him, with a smile. "Morning to you too. Almost ready here."

"'Kay." Daryl set the puppy down on the floor, who made a beeline for its feeding bowl while Daryl turned to wash up at the sink. He pulled out orange juice and milk from the refrigerator and started the coffee maker for himself. He didn't feel like having juice this morning.

"Somethin' smells good here," Daryl complimented as he took in an appreciative sniff.

"Cheesy Ham and Hash Brown Casserole. And…..got something special for you since you've been such a tremendous help to me. Can't thank you enough," Olivia said as she walked over with a plate that was covered with a paper napkin.

Daryl's eyes followed her as she lifted the napkin off with a dramatic flourish, like the ladies on The Price is Right when they uncovered what was under the box. He saw fresh biscuits with steam still coming off them and…._Holy fuuuck_….chocolate gravy.

"You like?" Olivia asked, giggling to herself when she saw Daryl's eyes glaze over. She knew cheese was one of his favorite foods and that he was quite the fiend for chocolate. Maybe it was overload to give him two treats in one sitting.

Daryl didn't answer. He didn't hear her. He just planted himself on the barstool, still in a trance-like state. It had been so long since he had that. His grandmother had made that for him and Merle a few times, but that was ages ago. The woman had died when they were still young. Daryl's own mother was too concerned about her liquor and where her next drink was coming from to cook much. Many of the memories Daryl had left of his mother consisted of her puffing on her Virginia Slims and chugging whiskey from the bottle.

Olivia smiled at him, noticing the look of longing on Daryl's face as he eyed the highly coveted treat. "Here, let me get you a plate." She scooped up a generous amount of the casserole and placing the biscuit on a smaller, separate plate, poured chocolate gravy over it. She brought it to Daryl, who picked up the fork that was already placed at his table setting and dug into the biscuit. "Mmmmm." Daryl dipped two fingers into the warm chocolate sauce and scooped them into his mouth, licking and sucking every drop of sauce.

"Gross," Olivia admonished, laughing. After a short moment, she felt a weird feeling deep in her belly that she couldn't or didn't want to explain. She tore her eyes away from Daryl and went ahead and prepped her own plate. Then she brought over a cup of coffee for Daryl and poured herself a glass of juice. It seemed that Daryl forgot all about the orange juice he took out of the refrigerator for her and she ended up serving herself. But she didn't mind at all.

After breakfast, Daryl headed out to repair part of the wooden fence. The wood was old and rotten and it broke away very easily when one of the horses bumped it yesterday.

Olivia put away the leftovers, not that there was a lot left. Daryl had 2 servings of the casserole and 2 biscuits with gravy this morning. There was enough for 2 or 3 more portions and about five biscuits left. She wrapped everything up, including the chocolate gravy, so Daryl could take it home, thinking he could enjoy it tomorrow or share it with Merle.

A phone call interrupted her while she was just closing refrigerator door. Rushing over to her phone, she saw that it was the auto transport company. The man on the line told her the car would be there in the afternoon, around 2 pm. That was certainly great news!

All she needed was to have her beloved Dumbledore here and everything would be complete. Her thoroughbred was expected to arrive in 4 days, according to the email the horse transport company sent her last night. Olivia had interviewed several companies to be sure she found the right one to take care of her pet on the long journey across country and she was confident in her decision.

When the stove and oven were cool enough to clean, Olivia wiped the surfaces down quickly to get rid of any grease and food particles. She looked out the window and noticed that it was such a beautiful summer morning, while an idea came to mind…..

Twenty minutes later, she was walking out barefoot in a large, oversized T-shirt, with a towel under her arm. Olivia was heading to the lake, recalling the fun she had she had as a kid. Back then, there was a rope swing that was attached to a thick and sturdy tree limb hanging over the lake. She and her sisters would swing off the rope, drop down into the lake and constantly do it over and over again while laughing their heads off. It was one of their favorite activities to do at their Gran's, being a close second to horseback riding.

Summers were always so carefree for them, but in addition, the time spent was also educational as well. Granddaddy would take the girls into the woods and while on their walks, he would point out edible plants, teach vital observational skills and how to track the animals that resided there. As the girls grew older, he went on and explained how the animals and plants were part of the ecosystem there and how each component was a crucial part of the whole cycle. This tied in with what the girls had studied in school. They were rapt listeners, giving their grandfather their undivided attention.

Their Gran taught the girls to appreciate good food, and gave them an understanding of cooking principles: heat transfer and the effects of it, food preservation and preparation, and proper selection and storage of food. Although the sisters had a tremendous amount of fun with their grandparents, they actually had been receiving science lessons over the years.

_Oh, it's still there! _Olivia saw the huge tree and the rope swing as she got closer to the lake. A smile spread across her face as she remembered their childhood adventures.

Daryl saw Olivia walking towards the lake, and wondering what she was up to, headed up to join her. He just couldn't stay away. Before he got there, he noticed her stop by the edge, and drop the towel onto the ground. In the blink of an eye, her hands grabbed the hem of her T-shirt and yanked it up, revealing her dark orange strapless bikini.

_Oh….fuck….me…._Daryl's mind was at a loss. All he saw were tits. Round, luscious, and full tits. Definitely enough for a handful.

He watched her climb onto the rope swing and swing herself out, letting go of the rope and dropping into the lake below. She was laughing heartily when she came up out of the water. By that time he was already at the lake's edge.

Olivia looked over at him and gave him a smile. "You should join me. The water feels great. It's such a hot day already."

Daryl was chewing on thumbnail. "Nah. Got work ta do."

"Maybe later then?" Olivia asked.

"Maybe," Daryl agreed. The water did look very inviting and it was hot as hell in the Georgian heat. He wasn't going to take off his wife beater though. He refused to let Olivia witness his shame. Even though he trusted her, he couldn't bear the thought of that beautiful girl laying her eyes on something so horrible, so disfiguring. Nobody ever saw the scars that marred the surface of his back.

Olivia swam closer to the edge and started to walk out. Daryl was in a near panic. _Shit, she's gonna be all wet and nearly naked._

She was almost completely out of the water when suddenly, she gave a cry of distress and crumpled, lowering herself to the ground. The young woman sat down immediately, in about 5 inches of water, holding her right foot up in order to inspect it.

Daryl immediately ran over to her, not giving a shit if his pants and boots were getting soaked. He kneeled down next to her, partially in the water, checking over her foot. The bottom of her foot had a cut about 2 inches long, but luckily it didn't appear to be deep. He pulled the red bandana from his back pocket, and after rinsing it out in the lake, he wrung out the water from it and tied it around Olivia's foot.

Using one his hands, Daryl carefully explored the surface where she was just walking, to see what caused her injury, and finally felt the sharpness of one of the rocks lining the lake's edge. Angrily, he hurled it towards the woods before helping Olivia up to her feet.

Daryl placed her arm around his shoulders, helping to support her weight. She walked gingerly, limping on her injured foot. "Hold up," Daryl instructed, removing her arm from him. He got in front of her and turned his back to her.

"C'mon, hop on," he directed, pointing to his back.

"Huh?"

"Ain't got all day, girl," Daryl grumbled. "Piggyback."

"Serious?" She asked, with a tiny smirk.

"Serious piggyback," Daryl replied. "Now git on."

Daryl lowered himself slightly so Olivia would have an easier time getting on his back. As soon as she hopped on, he truly regretted his offer.

The first thing he noticed was the soft skin on the back of her thighs, where he was supporting her with his hands. Never before had he ever felt such softness. He would never have believed that a woman's skin would feel that soft. Daryl noticed a weird sensation in his belly and he pushed it away.

With a blush creeping across his cheeks, he realized her soft, yet firm breasts were pressed up against his back, the wet fabric of her bikini soaking into his shirt. Each step he made caused her and her breasts to bounce against his back. _Ah, shit._ And to make things worse, Daryl was feeling an uncomfortable sensation in his pants as his cock began to twitch. _Good_ _Lord, gonna have ta go walkin' 'round the farm with a fuckin' hard-on_…..Daryl blew out a breath hoping his cock would behave. He tried to think of all sorts of things to get rid of his pesky growing erection. _Merle's hairy white ass, Mrs. Kendall….damn, even back in 3__rd__ grade she looked like she was pushing 90,_ _flesh-eating zombies….._ Nothing worked. His erection was growing harder by the second, he noted with horror, and he tried shifting his body as his pants tightened uncomfortably. Daryl attempted to focus on anything else, not knowing what to do, so he said the first thing that came to mind to deflect the situation. He grunted out, "Unngh, yer heavier than ya look."

"Oh stop it!" Olivia said in mock annoyance as she lightly slapped his chest, keeping her arms still locked around his shoulders and neck. "You sure know how to sweet talk a girl, eh?" She giggled lightly.

Olivia felt the warmth that exuded off of Daryl's body. With her arms were looped around his solid, broad shoulders, she noted the strength in the muscles that were rolling and moving beneath her. During her ride, she felt a light fluttering in her belly. Quickly, she tried to think of other things to distract her from the weird sensations. _Taxes, pus-filled abscesses…crap! Not working! PV=nRT, PV=nRT….p is the absolute pressure, v is the volume, n is the amount of substance in moles….._

Daryl huffed and blew out a couple of breaths to calm himself down. He started walking faster hoping to get her off of him sooner. _Gonna need ta jerk off like a horny teenager in the bathroom,_ he thought with a scowl. _T'hell is goin' on here?_

* * *

Once inside the house, Daryl set Olivia down gently on a barstool in the kitchen. The little brown puppy immediately ran over to investigate. Daryl quickly raced to the downstairs bathroom, taking out the first aid kit and bottle of alcohol from under the sink and grabbed a towel, noting with relief that his cock was somewhat starting to behave.

He knelt by Olivia's foot. "Gimme yer foot."

"It's okay, Daryl. I can take care of it myself." She started to untie the red bandana.

Daryl waved her hand away. "Just gimme yer foot so I can clean it out. Quit yer yammerin', girl. Yer wastin' time."

_Geez, he's so unbelievably bossy, in a sweet way, _Olivia decided to just let him do it, since he was so insistent.

With the softest of touches, Daryl placed the towel on his knee, taking her injured foot and putting it down on the towel, he unwrapped the red rag carefully and placed it on the ground next to him. Once it was removed, he looked up at her. "Gonna sting like a bitch. Ya ready?"

Olivia bit her lip and nodded with apprehension.

Daryl poured the rubbing alcohol over her cut, letting the excess run off into the towel below.

"Oh God!" Olivia shouted, one hand grabbed onto his shoulder and squeezed, causing Daryl to flinch in surprise. Once the burn began to subside, her grip relaxed.

"Good girl," Daryl encouraged. Olivia gave him a small smile. Daryl applied antibiotic ointment after the alcohol dried, then he wrapped gauze bandage around the instep of her foot.

Olivia was observing him as he tended to her injury. At first glance, it would have been difficult to imagine that such a gruff, rough-looking man could be so tender and gentle in his ministrations. His hands were calloused, from years of hard work, but they handled and treated her skin with the utmost of care.

When her foot was wrapped, Olivia pushed up from the barstool to get up.

"Where ya goin'?" Daryl inquired.

"Need to see what to do about lunch."

"Nuh-uh. Ya gotta stay off that foot, could open up 'n bleed 'gain," Daryl replied.

"Well, how are we going to eat?"

"Imma make us somethin'," Daryl replied.

"You cook?" Olivia asked, with wide eyes.

"Nothin' fancy like ya do or like yer Gran. Had ta cook ta eat. Ma momma wasn't doin' it. Ma daddy sure as hell wasn't cookin'. Jus' me 'n Merle."

Olivia nodded, staying put on the barstool. "I have some steaks marinating in the refrigerator."

She watched Daryl move about in the kitchen. He knew where most everything was, to her surprise. The young woman didn't realize just how observant Daryl had been.

"If you give me some potatoes, I can peel them for you," she offered. "I was thinking of mashed potatoes to go with the steaks."

Daryl looked at her for a moment, then grabbed a bowl and the peeler for her, placing them in front of Olivia. He turned to the pantry to take out 4-5 potatoes and brought them to the sink to wash them, then handed them to her. "Thank you," Olivia said softly, looking into his blue eyes and feeling as if she was falling right into their depths.

For the next 10 minutes, they sat side by side in a comfortable silence, as Olivia peeled the potatoes while Daryl trimmed the green beans, dropping them into the colander he placed on the kitchen island.

Daryl only had experience cooking up deer steaks, not the expensive cuts of beef, but he figured it was probably not that different. While seated at her barstool, Daryl brought over the ingredients and supplies Olivia called out and she whipped up a batch of brownies while the steaks were cooking. Daryl placed the pan into the pre-heated oven, looking forward to the chocolatey treats. Twenty minutes later, they found themselves sitting in front of plates filled with green beans, mashed potatoes, and steaks seared to perfection, while the brownies were cooling.

Not wanting to admit it, Daryl did enjoy cooking with Olivia. Hell, he enjoyed any time he spent with the girl.

Once they had their fill of dessert, Olivia made a move to get up, earning her a reprimand from Daryl.

"Nuh-uh. Told ya ta stay off that foot. Ya don't listen," Daryl chided.

"Can't stay on this barstool forever, can I?" she retorted. "How am I supposed to get a-"

Olivia was interrupted as she let out a squeak when Daryl scooped her off the seat and carried her bridal style. Instinctively, her arms wrapped around his neck. "Just tell me where ya gotta go."

Olivia giggled. _He's got a solution for everything_. "You could put me in the chair on the front porch, so I can keep an eye out for my car. It should be here very soon."

"Yeah? Then ya won't be needin' me ta take ya ta the store?" For some reason, Daryl felt a bit disappointed.

"Well….I'll be able to get to the store on my own, but….I'll always need you," Olivia said, with a slight blush. She didn't know why, but she wanted Daryl to know just how important he was. Daryl's own cheeks reddened a bit as well.

Gently, he placed her on the weathered white chair. Before Daryl left, he reminded her, "Ya stay put. Don't need ya hurtin' yer foot 'gain."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Dixon," Olivia smirked up at him, giving him a small salute with her hand.

Daryl grumbled, "Ya got yerself a smart mouth there, girl."

When Daryl left to tend to his chores for the day, she noticed the warmth that lingered in her chest. It was a good feeling, when someone was taking care of you. She felt…safe and protected.

* * *

About an hour or so later, a large semi-tractor trailer pulled up in front of the farmhouse, catching Daryl's attention. He came around to the front of the house, and glared when he saw Olivia trying to make it down the steps. Quickly, Daryl rushed over to scoop her up again while she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You're going to spoil me, Daryl. Soon, I won't want to walk and insist that you carry me everywhere," Olivia laughed. Daryl rolled his eyes.

"I'm going to need to inspect the car."

"C'mon, Imma gonna take you there." Daryl walked down the steps and went over to the driver who was unloading the car with his assistant.

"Dr. Walker?" The man asked.

"Yes, I am," she answered with a smile. I hurt my foot earlier," Olivia explained when she noticed the questioning look from the driver. She reviewed the documentation he had with him. Once she was finished, the driver joined his partner to complete the unloading of the vehicle from the back trailer.

Daryl's breath left him as he spied the blue sports car that slid down the ramp. "Damn," he mumbled. A car like that must have cost a pretty penny. His eyes roved over the metallic blue paint, and traveled over the curves and shiny rims, and noted the width of the tires. The car was meant to be driven.

Olivia smiled up at him. "I got it used, after I graduated, as a present to myself."

Daryl carried her while she inspected first the outside, then the inside of the car. Afterwards, Olivia signed off on the paperwork the driver, and once he gave her a copy, he and the second man left.

Daryl couldn't take his eyes off the car. It must be a guy thing. Men loved cars, nearly as much as they loved breasts.

"Do you wanna take it for a spin?" Olivia offered, holding up her car key.

Daryl's eyes snapped to meet hers, not quite believing she would let him do that.

"Well?" She waved the electronic key in front of him.

With a tiny smile, he nodded.

* * *

Daryl stepped harder on the accelerator, reveling in the feel of the engine's response. There was the softest of purrs while he felt the unleashed power of the vehicle under his seat. It was almost like sitting astride a tiger. He glanced at Olivia who was in the passenger seat next to him. She was relaxed and enjoying the country drive with a big smile, while her hair thrashed about.

He couldn't believe he had a chance to drive one of those fancy cars that rich people had. Daryl lifted his face slightly to bask further in the warm sun that was beaming down on them. The wind whipped through his shaggy brown hair, providing relief from the heat.

Before he knew it, it was time to return to the farmhouse, much to his disappointment. Daryl would have liked to keep driving, but he knew he had more work to do. With a heavy sigh, he turned back.

Olivia noticed the change in his mood; he looked so disgruntled. "There'll always be another day we can go out for a drive," she said.

Daryl looked back over at her, giving her a tiny smile.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11-Madison, GA**

The pleasant trills and calls of blue jays woke Olivia after a peaceful night of much needed rest. Slowly, she stretched and turned off the alarm before it went off. She realized she was up 30 minutes earlier than what she had set it for.

In the corner of her bedroom, Godiva flicked her eyes open when she heard noise, and yawned, slowly moving her head about to take in the environment. The little pup walked away from its comfy bed and stretched out one back leg and then the other, giving one more yawn for good measure, before clambering its way towards Olivia.

Olivia stretched for the second time, just because it felt so good, and padded over to the bathroom to get ready for the day, stopping only to return her puppy's morning greeting. "Good morning to you too, sweetie," she said as her hands rubbed and scratched around little furry ears, receiving a lick or two of thanks from Godiva. "Are you my little Godey girl? Oh, yes! Oh, yes!"

She washed her face and brushed her teeth, disrobed, and headed over to the dresser to pick out fresh panties and a bra, along with a T-shirt and denim shorts.

Downstairs, in the kitchen, Olivia proceeded to prepare a clean bowl of water and food for Godiva, while the pup was whining anxiously, hovering at her feet. Once that was taken care of, Olivia pulled out eggs, tortillas, and red, green, and orange peppers from the refrigerator. After closing the door, she sighed and opened it again, taking out the homemade salsa she prepared yesterday and the bag of shredded cheese, swinging the door closed once again with a bump of her hip. On her way to the counter, she stopped by the pantry to pick up a large onion and a can of low-sodium black beans. With everything balanced so precariously in her arms, she made her way carefully to her destination.

About 10 minutes later, she heard the front door close softly and the sound of Daryl's boots tapping on the hardwood floor, coming closer. Olivia smiled to herself. It seems like she wasn't the only one who got an earlier start this morning.

"Mornin', Liv." Daryl's raspy voice pulled her from her musing. One corner of his mouth tilted upwards, ever so slightly. "Smells damn good." The kitchen had the tantalizing aroma of coffee and peppers.

"Hi, Daryl, good morning to you too," she said with a smile, as she looked up over her shoulder. She turned back to concentrate on the eggs in front of her, adding the chopped vegetables that she had already browned.

Godiva ran over to greet Daryl when she noticed his presence. Daryl bent down and scratched behind her ears, causing the dog to stand completely still with its eyes closed. Suddenly, the dog sat down and rolled right over, legs splayed, plopping itself almost on top of Daryl's boots. Daryl got the hint. "A'right, a'right, ya want yer belly scratched?" He rubbed and scratched at her belly, watching in amusement as the dog's eyes slowly shut once again in pleasure.

"Think you're gonna spoil her even more than I already did," Olivia laughed. It looked like her puppy had Daryl right where she wanted him.

Daryl stood up to walk closer to Olivia, stopping in his tracks when he got a better look at her shorts. The tiny shorts left much of her long legs bare. Olivia was barefoot too. He noted how delicate her feet appeared, nearly perfect. A hint of pink was painted on her toenails, which Daryl approved of. He wasn't a big fan of nail polish, especially the bright, garish colors on long nail tips that some of the women around town favored. He'd never seen her with any polish on her fingernails, although she had only been here for a little over a week.

He couldn't remember if the polish was there before when she was at the lake a few days ago and ended up hurting her foot. At the time, he was too preoccupied to notice shit like that.

"Almost ready," Olivia announced, as she moved the skillet off the hot burner and scooped the egg mixture onto two plates that each held a warm unfolded tortilla, making sure that Daryl got extra. She topped the eggs with a spoon or two of black beans that were still steaming, a sprinkle of shredded cheddar, and some salsa before folding them up.

Daryl reached into the refrigerator for milk for his coffee and a carton of orange juice. He knew she wasn't much of a coffee drinker and she avoided tea near mealtimes because of her iron deficiency. After pouring a glass of juice for Olivia and a cup of coffee for himself, he brought the beverages to the island and sat down on one of the barstools.

Olivia set a plate down in front of Daryl before she sat down with hers.

Daryl looked at his platter with interest. "Whatcha got today, girl?"

"It's like a southwestern breakfast burrito. Eggs with peppers and onions, black beans, cheddar, and salsa."

He grunted in approval and picked up his tortilla and took a big bite, opening his mouth slightly to blow air on the hot food within before he resumed his chewing. Daryl looked over to see Olivia observing him while she chewed. He nodded at her and took another bite.

"S'good, Liv," he complimented, with his mouth full.

She smiled, "Glad you like it, Daryl."

While he ate in a comfortable silence, Daryl couldn't help peeking at her from the corner of his eye. She seemed oblivious to his attention, either taking a sip of juice or a bite from her breakfast. He continued to peer at her every so often, through his shaggy bangs, letting his eyes take in her features and being careful not to get caught.

Suddenly, she turned to him, taking Daryl by surprise and causing him to look away hurriedly, as a light hint of color appeared on his cheeks. Her voice broke through the silence. "Daryl, what's there to do around town? What do you like to do?"

"Dunno." He shrugged. "Sometimes I go ta Ricky's, on Jefferson Street. Not much ta do here in Madison, but drink." He nibbled on his thumbnail, regretting his words as soon as they left his mouth, thinking about how stupid he sounded. _Like a good-for-nothin' drunk._ Daryl was embarrassed to admit that other than working here and at the garage, and drinking at the bar, he stayed home.

"Well, I thought it might be good for me to explore the town a bit, before school starts, but I wasn't sure what there is to do. Maybe the newspaper will have some information," Olivia suggested.

After they were finished with breakfast, Daryl gathered up the dirty dishes and utensils and placed them next to the sink. He thanked her for breakfast as he headed out the back door to begin his work.

Olivia stayed in the kitchen to rinse off the dishes and utensils and to place them in the dishwasher. Once she had the fully loaded dishwasher going, and cleaned up the counters and stove, she tackled the mountain of laundry next. Everything had been separated into 3 neat piles: whites, colors, and neutral. It was a habit she learned early in life and still followed.

Her sister Vanessa, on the other hand, just threw everything into one big load. It was probably a practice that resulted from necessity. During their college days, the laundry services had cost about $3.00 per load, per machine, so she supposed it financially made sense to just have one load of laundry rather than 3 or 4 separate, smaller loads. After college, Vanessa just continued to do it the same way.

Olivia was glad that Daryl took up her offer to do his laundry here at the farmhouse rather than the Laundromat he used. She knew that money spent on the machines added up and since he stayed at the farmhouse anyway while she was gone, it made sense. At first, Daryl was being obstinate, but he couldn't deflect her reasoning about paying for jacked up laundry fees, using his earlier argument about taxi fees against him. When she returned, she convinced him to just keep doing his laundry here at the house. It wasn't like he had to make a special trip; he was here working. She had him keep the extra keys to the house so he did not have to wait for her to be home. Olivia figured it wouldn't hurt to have someone keep them, just in case of an emergency.

While the laundry was going, Olivia grabbed a few carrots from the refrigerator and cleaned them up. She was going to visit the horses, perhaps even ride Dumbledore for a little bit. Making her way over to the stables, she plucked the brush off the hook and opened the door to the stall for Percy, greeting the old horse as he neighed and nickered at her softly, knowing she had some treats for them. Olivia spent time with Nelly as well, giving her some special attention, but before making her way to Dumbledore, she led the two horses out first to the field so they could frolic in the fresh air.

After he had his fill of his share of the carrots, the young woman brushed the thoroughbred and checked its back for any sores or debris, patting the side of its face gently. Dumbledore neighed in response. Olivia grabbed the pad off the bench and checked it for any debris that would cause irritation or injury to her beloved pet. Finding nothing, she checked the saddle and cinches for anything unusual as well, making sure the straps were secure. Once everything was carefully reviewed, she placed the pad on Dumbledore's back. Now came the hard part. After securing the straps and stirrups on the saddle, Olivia lifted the heavy saddle towards her and using momentum, she swung it upwards onto the horse's back, letting out a breath. She huffed a couple more times, then pulled back and straightened the pad and saddle. Once she connected the cinches, Olivia walked around to the front of her horse, taking one of its leg and gently bending the knee, repeating the process for the other leg. She wanted to be sure the horse's belly was stretched and there would be no extra skin trapped under the cinches. Dumbledore huffed impatiently.

"Almost there, big boy. I know, I know, you wanna go, don't you?" She cooed. His only reply was one more puff of air through his nostrils.

Using her left hand, Olivia hung onto the reins, and placing that hand on the base of the mane, she grabbed up a good handful of the mane, to maintain control of the horse and her own balance. Her left foot slid into the left stirrup. Using momentum from the spring in her leg, she hoisted herself up and swung her right leg over the horse and settled herself onto the saddle, placing her other foot into the other stirrup. Riding barefoot was nothing new for her. She loved the freedom of being barefoot. Since they were in a new area, Olivia opted to use the saddle, otherwise she would have preferred to go bareback. _Now that is what I call free,_ she thought with a smile. There was no greater thrill than to go tearing down the field, bareback on a horse, with the wind blowing through your hair.

Olivia directed the horse to the long field. She wanted him to just take off like a rocket, but she thought it was better if both of them got familiar with the lay of the land first. The horse maintained a pleasant pace, a jog trot. The animal was enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. She couldn't help but smile and laugh while she watched Percy and Nelly rub and nip at each other farther down the field.

Daryl's eyes took in her grin as she laughed at her horses' antics. The corner of his mouth quirked upwards.

* * *

The loud rumble from Daryl's stomach signaled that it was lunch time. Before Daryl made his way back to the house, he sat on the steps of the back porch, pulling out a lighter and a cigarette from the pack he kept in the pocket of his sleeveless shirt. Puffing on his cigarette, he allowed his thoughts to wander, which made it easy for Olivia to take him by surprise.

"You know, that's really not a very healthy choice," she admonished, giving him a pointed look, though he couldn't see it.

Daryl nearly choked on the mouthful of smoke he was inhaling. He didn't hear the back door open and close behind him and her quiet steps were impressive.

"Why ya sneakin' up on people, girl?" He grumbled angrily. "Nearly made me swallow this smoke." His cheeks were slightly tinged with color, since he was just thinking about her long legs and matching them up with the nice tits he saw the other day. Daryl was hoping Olivia wouldn't be able to read his mind.

"Sorry," she smirked. "But those things aren't going let you live a long happy life. Lunch is ready." She turned back into the house, while Daryl stood up, taking one last pull from the cigarette before crushing it under his heavy boot. He kicked the stub into the bushes after making sure it was completely out.

_Happy life? Dixons don't live happily ever after,_ he thought to himself, as he entered the house and headed to the sink to wash up before lunch.

* * *

After lunch, Daryl grabbed a basket and a ladder to pick peaches, while Olivia took an hour to preview some of the books for the two classes she had next Monday. She liked to get a head start on her reading, to know what was coming up. Her backpack was ready to go with the supplies she picked up.

Rubbing her eyes, she glanced at the clock in the kitchen. It was only about 3:30 in the afternoon. There really wasn't anything else she needed to do.

Now that she had some free time, Olivia thought of her yoga routine. She had been an active yoga student for many years, dabbling in 3 or 4 forms of it, and hadn't exercised since she moved; she sorely missed it. Her mat had been unpacked, along with her exercise clothing. _Huh….why not? _ It would be relaxing and help her focus. And she was looking forward to trying it in the serene outdoors with fresh air and a soft breeze. It would be so much better than being cooped up in a yoga studio.

The Georgia heat wouldn't bother her too much. Geez, she had practiced bikram yoga for two years. Being in a stifling 105° degree room for 90 minutes was nothing compared to the open air and cooling breeze.

She raced upstairs to change, excited about her idea. She knew finding time would be harder once school started and she was working with Mr. Greene, though technically she should be calling him Dr. Greene. As kids, they've always addressed him as Mr. and the title stuck.

From her dresser drawer of exercise clothing, Olivia pulled out a black yoga bra top that had an open back design. Four skinny straps connected the band on the bottom to the halter strap on the back of the neck. The top was one of her favorites because it was so different. The rest of her exercise tops were the usual design, from Walmart or Target. Simple black stretchy yoga pants completed her outfit. She split her hair down the center of her scalp, into right and left halves and created a French braid on each side of her head, near her ears. She didn't like the feeling of hair hanging in her face when she was exercising, and worse, sticking to her hot and sweaty skin.

Barefoot, she was on her way out the back door in less than 5 minutes, picking up her purple yoga mat from the mudroom and taking it outside with her.

Stopping in the shade of a large oak tree, she unrolled her mat, smoothing it out over the flat surface of the grass. _Such a magnificent view_, she thought as she admired her surroundings. She sat in the center of the mat, with her legs folded and crossed. After placing her hands on her knees, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply, enjoying the fresh country air. Through her nostrils, she drew in a long, extended breath until she couldn't take in any more air and slowly released her breath out through her nose. In..…out…..…in…..…out. Olivia felt her mind relax almost instantly as she concentrated on her breathing pattern and the sound of bird calls from a nearby tree.

_This is the way to exercise,_ she thought. Her lip twitched in amusement as she recalled the time when she and her sisters tried surfing, mostly at the persuasion of Samantha, who was the most athletic out of the three of them. In Santa Ana, there was a surf camp for women and the girls signed up for a 4-day course. Well, on the last day they were there, Olivia somehow managed to keep her balance on her board when a large wave (really it felt like a wall of hard muscle) knocked her off and her board ended up thumping her on the forehead, leaving a huge bruise. And that was the end of that. No more surfing for her.

Olivia preferred "less sporty" types of physical activity, mainly dancing, yoga, and Pilates, although she was a big fan of kickboxing. Vanessa was the same way, though she leaned a little more towards the category of 'Couch Potato'. It was Samantha who was on the high school track team and who played on a volleyball team in college. That girl never stopped moving.

Pushing thoughts about her sisters away, she concentrated on the here and now. In her mind's eye, she pictured the various yoga asanas to move into. Since she had been doing it for so long, many of the poses were not too difficult to carry out. Olivia got down on all fours, hands shoulder length apart, and her knees hip length apart, keeping the tops of her feet pressed into the ground, and her arms straight, fingers spread open. She lifted herself up, keeping her toes on the ground, and continued her breathing pattern. Her body easily slid from Plank into Downward-Facing Dog and she held the position so that she could maximize her stretching while her body resembled an inverted V, with the soles of her feet completely pressed into the ground. She sighed in contentment at the sensation of the full body stretch.

* * *

Ever since puberty hit at around age 12 or 13, Daryl had never stopped noticing girls. Not in any way did he feel comfortable approaching them (unless he was drunk), but he certainly admired their many physical attributes. Like most men, he loved breasts, however, first and foremost, Daryl was an ass man. There was just something about how a woman looked from behind. From the graceful slope of her neck, to her sculptured shoulders and shoulder blades, to how the small of a woman's back curved inward, so delicately, and then the flesh from her ass cheeks would create that delicious convex shape and its accompanying cleavage. That was something all women had. Ass cleavage. No matter what size ass. Tits needed to be of a certain size before cleavage was achieved. But not an ass.

Climbing down the ladder from the last peach tree Daryl picked, he stopped in front of a large basket and hoisted it up on his shoulders. Daryl was carrying a large container of peaches up to the farmhouse when he halted, nearly dropping his basket. _Goddamn…. _He swallowed thickly. An image of him thrusting behind that ass, his hand wrapped around one of those braids, popped into head. He gritted his teeth and forced the picture out of his head, disgusted with himself. _She's ma friend. And ma fuckin' boss._

There, under the old oak tree, Olivia was bent over, hands on the ground, legs straight, with her ripe, round ass in the air, pointing right at him. Her ass was encased in black stretchy material, leaving nothing to his imagination, as the fabric showed off the full swell of each cheek. _Holy fuck. _This was the first time Daryl got a really good look at her backside.

He stood behind her, clearing his throat, redness starting to creep along his cheekbones and forehead.

Opening her eyes, Olivia breathed out while she moved her hands closer to her feet to push up, then stood up and turned around.

Daryl could barely look her in the face, afraid she would know what he was just thinking. "These are all the ripe ones. Where ya want it?" As soon as the word 'ripe' left his lips, her ass came to mind again, much to his dismay. _Shit._

"Oh, thanks, Daryl. That's a lot! Could you leave half with me and bring half to the Peters? Why don't you take some too, for yourself and Merle?" she offered. "There's more than enough to share."

"Alright," Daryl agreed. Mrs. Sullivan's trees had the sweetest, juiciest peaches he had ever tasted. "Ya gonna make a pie with some?" Daryl asked with a sideways glance.

"Would you like me to make a pie?" Olivia teased, smirking.

Daryl shrugged and mumbled. He wasn't used to people taking special requests. He never mattered to anyone.

"I'll take it as a 'yes' then."

A tiny smile tugged at his lips.

* * *

With a long sigh, Daryl dropped the fork on his empty plate. He just didn't think he had enough room in his belly for a third piece of peach pie.

They sat in front of the TV after supper to enjoy their dessert. Olivia was telling him a snippet about her childhood when something on the TV caught her attention.

"Oh, Daryl, look. The county fair came to town," she announced. "It sure sounds like fun. Do you think you can take me there this weekend? I don't have any friends, but for you." She looked over at him with her wide green eyes, appearing hopeful. "Of course, if you're busy…."

Daryl was stuck. He didn't know what to do. He never went to a fair, and he certainly never would have thought to bring a girl to one either. At first, he was going to just tell her to forget it, that he was busy, he would be hunting, anything. But….one look into those mesmerizing eyes, and he felt like he couldn't deny her anything.

He shrugged. "Yeah, guess so," he replied, looking down at the floor and nibbling on his thumbnail.

"Really?!" Her smile lit up her face.

"We can go tomorrow if ya want. Ain't workin' at the garage." Daryl glanced at her from under his shaggy bangs. Olivia's face split into a huge grin, the corners of her eyes had the tiniest of crinkles around them. He found that he couldn't stop the corner of his mouth from tilting up.

* * *

On Saturday morning, Daryl found Olivia in the kitchen, scooping hot apple cinnamon oatmeal into bowls. His eyebrows lifted slightly, astonished that she would still cook for him even though he wasn't working. Setting the bowls down in front of the barstools, she then poured out coffee for him, adding just enough milk and sugar, the way he liked it, while she had a glass of orange juice.

Daryl was surprised that she remembered how he liked his coffee. Nobody really cared before and sure as hell nobody would make an effort to remember. He felt a soft fluttering sensation in his belly, which made him feel strange. He wasn't sure if he liked this new feeling and he decided to ignore it.

As much as Daryl wanted to drive her car again, he suggested to Olivia for them to take his truck to the county fair.

They rode in a comfortable silence, with the windows down, and with his arm along the back of seat, like he usually had. Except this time, Olivia was there and his arm was barely brushing the dark hair that fell against her back. The old country roads were not paved well, and each time they hit a bump, she ended up jostling his arm, giving him a pleasant tingle. Daryl was confused by the reaction his body had and pushed it away again.

After seeing the sign that said 'Morgan County Fair', Daryl turned left to pull up into the expansive parking lot designated for the festivities.

Daryl got out first and hesitated, wondering if he should open the door for Olivia. That other time, when he picked her up from the airport, she was half asleep and he wanted to do that for her. _Didn't want that girl to fumble and hurt herself, that's all, _he rationalized. He recalled watching some TV shows where some men opened doors for women. All gentlemen-like. He grew nervous and did not know why. _Aw, hell. Ain't no gentleman. Just redneck trash. _

Finally, he made a snap decision and strode over to Olivia's door, opening it for her. She smiled up at him and his belly clenched lightly. He swallowed.

They walked side by side, Olivia's arm brushing against his intermittently throughout the morning. Excitement was evident in her chatter. Her eyes were wide as she observed the people and the rides around her. He listened to her story about her experiences at the fair with her sisters, grunting every so often. It sounded like they had a lot of fun growing up together. Daryl couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like for him to have a family like that.

Daryl had paid for their admission, which he insisted upon. For some reason, it was important to him. He knew he would never make as much money as she did, but for today, he would do what a man would do. Perhaps he wanted to show her that he could take care of a woman.

They rode on the Ferris wheel first, both enjoying the view of the county that such an elevation afforded them. Then, they crossed the midway to hop onto the Himalayan, Olivia's favorite ride since she was 7 years old. Each car was attached to a center vertical axis, skimming along an uneven surface with alternating elevations, to give riders the impression of skiing on hills. As the ride picked up speed, Daryl noticed that Olivia was being pressed into him, since he was sitting further out from the center axis. _Some kind of force_, Daryl mused. _Hell if I know_. He didn't pay that much attention in science class. Since he was much bigger than she was, it didn't hurt him any, but the whole length of her torso and leg was flush against his body, and he could feel his cheeks burning.

While his level of discomfort was increasing, he noticed the ride slowing down, much to his relief, and then stop completely. Before he knew what was happening, he felt himself being pulled backwards, realizing that the ride was now going in that direction over the hilly surface. He turned to look at Olivia. She hadn't stopped grinning since they got in line. Slowly, he felt the corners of his mouth tug upwards.

Strolling through the midway, Daryl and Olivia were sharing an elephant ear when she happened to spy a colossal unicorn hanging up in a game booth. She stopped immediately in front of the game, staring at it with longing and hoping to have a chance to win it. Nearly 3 feet tall, it was just so adorable. Daryl offered to try to win it for her, since it was a shooting game and he was an experienced hunter. He licked off the powdered sugar from his fingers and handed the game attendant a few tickets that were kept in his pocket.

Taking a deep breath, he picked up the game rifle, though he would have preferred a crossbow, and aimed at the moving "ducks". The muscles in his biceps and shoulders bunched as he took position. Olivia happened to look over at Daryl, taking her eyes from the targets and her breath hitched. His sleeveless shirt allowed an uninterrupted and up-close view of his firm biceps and broad, muscular shoulders. _Those arms…oh, my._ She lost her train of thought for a few moments as she allowed her gaze to wander from the calloused hands that gripped the game rifle, along his solid forearms, to those bulging biceps, up to his rugged shoulders. She stared stupidly for what felt like way too long before she mentally shook herself out of it.

Focusing on the game, Olivia cheered him on, making him swell with pride. She then placed her thumb and index finger into the right and left corners of her mouth. Taking a deep breath, she blew, resulting in a shrill whistle being released. He turned to her with a look of amusement on his face. "What?" Olivia asked innocently, with her green doe eyes. Daryl smirked at her unexpected gesture. _Girl's full 'a surprises._

On his second try, Daryl's shot hit the "duck" and a loud buzzer went off. The game attendant announced him as a winner and prompted him to choose a prize for his lady, while Olivia was clapping in delight, with a huge grin on her face. Hiding his blush, Daryl chose the unicorn and the game attendant unclipped it and handed it to Olivia.

"Thank you, Daryl!" She gushed, eyes shining with happiness. Daryl noticed how her eyes lit up. "I love it." She gave the unicorn a hug.

Daryl felt like a million bucks. Here he was, a dirty white trash redneck, but he made this woman so happy. He won something for her. He felt a little more confident. Part of him knew it was only a stupid stuffed animal, but he wanted to savor this feeling just a little longer. Subconsciously, his posture began to change; he stood up straighter. He not only walked, but he actually strutted about the fair like a peacock.

"Darrrryll?!" He heard a high-pitched voice call out to him. He turned around.

**Author's Note:**

**Uh oh. Who called out Daryl's name?**

**A longer chapter for you this time! It seems Daryl has really noticed Olivia, eh? And our girl here is seeing Daryl differently too…..**

**Thanks so much for all your follows, favorites, and reviews! Makes me giddy when I see these in my inbox!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12-Madison, GA**

Once Daryl turned around, he saw who had called his name.

His eyes took in the bleached blonde hair and the tank top that must be two sizes too small, allowing breasts to nearly pop right out from the top. Frosted pink lipstick sat on top of full lips that were pulled back in a wide smile. Daryl looked up into bright blue eyes that were heavily outlined in black with a large smear of sparkly blue shadow over each eyelid. Inwardly, he groaned. _Brandie Higgins. _He remembered a drunken, quick fuck in the back of his truck….a few months ago. He met her at Ricky's, when he went in for a drink after work.

She came onto him before, at the bar, but that first time, Daryl had turned down her offer. He had seen her around, sometimes with the same man, usually not. He wasn't interested in a woman like that; the type of woman Merle went for.

Daryl also wasn't one for chasing tail, but he had needed a sexual release, and it had been a long time since he had gotten laid. So when they met again and she offered the second time, Daryl took her up on it; like any man, he certainly enjoyed sex, but he never stayed to cuddle or spend the night, leaving once his body calmed down. He had already moved on from that encounter. One night stands were uncomplicated, there was nothing that needed figuring out and there was no emotional commitment. That was how Daryl wanted it.

Unfortunately, he found out later that Brandie had a tendency to cling to whichever man she most recently fucked. He found her waiting for him outside the garage once, which annoyed him to no end.

It wasn't long until Brandie spied the pretty woman standing next to Daryl, embracing a stuffed unicorn. Olivia caught the other woman's eyes glancing over at her and slowly scanning her from head to toe and back up to her face again. _Huh….must not approve,_ she thought, as she saw the woman's lips curl up into a sneer.

Daryl's ears started to burn, as he stood there, shifting his weight from foot to foot. He felt like there was lead sitting in his belly; not sure why he felt so awkward. _Shit….things just got complicated._

"Olivia, this here is Brandie," he managed to mumble.

"Nice to meet you," Olivia offered with a small smile, looking over with curiosity at Brandie, who barely acknowledged her greeting.

With an exaggerated pout on her overly made-up face, Brandie whined, "Daaryl, where have ya been? Haven't seen ya in a while."

Nibbling on his thumbnail, he answered her. "Been busy workin'."

She frowned, then looked at him hopefully, "Maybe I'll see ya again at Ricky's?"

Daryl shrugged noncommittally. "Dunno. Busy."

Brandie scowled and narrowing her eyes, she turned and left, leaving Daryl to blow out the breath he didn't realize he was holding in.

"An old friend?" Olivia inquired with an eyebrow slightly raised.

Daryl was still had weird feelings and only managed a grunt. He kept his eyes lowered, not able to look at Olivia, afraid of what she would think. Part of him wasn't sure why her opinion mattered.

"It's okay, Daryl. Running into an old girlfriend isn't so bad. In a small town, it's bound to happen." Olivia tried to make him feel better. It was painfully obvious he was very uncomfortable with the situation. For some reason, her stomach clenched during the awkward conversation with Brandie. She noticed the other woman was very pretty, under all that makeup, and that was when her stomach began feeling weird.

"Ain't a ol' girlfriend," he mumbled, continuing to chew on his thumbnail in irritation.

"Oh," Olivia answered with a light blush, as realization dawned on her. _Well….men do have needs, I suppose. _

They walked in silence for a little while, each of them deep in thought.

After a few more rides, a couple of corn dogs, and some frozen lemonade, they decided it was time to head back. The sun was beginning to set and a cooler breeze accompanied them on the drive home.

Daryl walked Olivia up to her front door. He didn't know why the hell he did that. It was as if his feet had a mind of their own and just took over.

She smiled at him. Daryl found himself giving her a tiny smile in return. He became aware of an unusual fluttering in his belly, pushing it away just as quickly as it appeared.

"Imma gonna be back on Monday, Liv," he reminded her.

"Okay, Daryl. I'll see you then. Remember, I'll see you at breakfast and then I'll be back from school around 1. Thank you for today. It was so much fun." Olivia said with a smile, as she pulled out her house key.

"S'nothing," Daryl replied with a shrug.

They stood on the porch, Olivia smiling at him, while Daryl glanced at her through his bangs with tiny smile. What seemed like a minute passed before Olivia opened the door and went inside.

Daryl waited until he heard her turn the lock before he moved from the front porch.

About twenty minutes later, he was in his own house, finding Merle perched on the sofa with a frown on his face. "Spendin' more time with that doctor lady?"

Merle noticed his little brother was spending more of his free time at the Sullivan farmhouse after work and now even on days off. He wasn't 100% sure how he felt about it, but he did know he didn't like it much.

"Just went ta the fair, Merle. Don't wanna hear no shit from ya t'night." Daryl answered in annoyance.

"Anyways, ain't ya supposed ta be at work? Or did ya git yer ass fired again?" Daryl gritted his teeth. Dale put in a good word for Merle as a favor and he would be pissed if Merle fucked up again so soon, making him look bad in front of his boss.

"Nah, liddol brother, don't git yer panties in a knot. Imma still there. Shit, it's only been a few weeks," Merle replied. "Just off early today."

The job posting in the newspaper turned out to be a part-time position in a motorcycle repair shop, owned by Jim, who was a friend of Dale's. Dale spoke to Jim of Merle's issues with addiction, but Jim understood, having overcome his own fight with alcohol a few years back. Jim knew what it was like to have the addiction take over your life and destroy everything that was ever important to you. He was willing to give Merle a chance. Random drug testing during the course of employment was a condition and Merle agreed, though reluctantly. And so, for the last few days, Merle Dixon was a working man. The rehab program he participated in during his incarceration helped Merle get clean. Daryl hoped it was enough for Merle to stay clean.

After Daryl had a hot shower and changed into some clean boxers and a wifebeater, he filled a bowl with some of the leftover venison stew that Merle heated up. He grabbed a cold beer from the refrigerator and plopped himself on the sofa, as Merle gulped his own icy brew while seated in his favorite chair. The fabric was torn in three places and some visible stains marred the surface, but it was comfortable and it was cheap. Merle felt like a redneck king on his throne.

The TV was blaring while the men sat in stony silence, neither of them eager for conversation.

Merle glanced over at Daryl, who seemed to be absorbed in the stupid cop show that was playing. All his life, he looked after his baby brother the best way he could. He knew that look on Daryl's face every time he mentioned that doctor lady's name. Merle didn't want Daryl to get hurt. A pretty, educated woman like that wouldn't want anything to do with redneck assholes like the Dixons. That was just the way it was. The sooner Daryl learned that fact of life, the happier he would be.

The woman was new in town, and just hanging on to Daryl until she found herself some friends and a better man. _Rich bitch_, Merle thought, knitting his brows in displeasure. He knew what she was up to. Sending Daryl back here with extra cookies for the both of them, trying to get Daryl to do anything for her. _Manipulative. _ Merle knew he needed to keep an eye on that woman to see what she really wanted from Daryl.

* * *

**1 Month Later**

Shutting the hood of the silver Chevy truck, Clinton turned to Daryl with a jut of his chin and a questioning look in his eyes. Daryl led the way around the side of the garage, with Clinton close on his heels. The truck was the last vehicle that needed attention, so the mechanics were free for the moment. In-between customers, the two men decided to indulge in a quick smoke break.

Glancing at Daryl, Clinton asked, "How are things at the farm?"

"S'good," Daryl replied with a slight blush. "Olivia's a little busier now that school started."

"Yeah. I met her 'n her sisters a couple years back when they came ta visit Mrs. Sullivan. Nice girls, really nice girls."

Daryl was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable and began fidgeting. He didn't want to talk about that girl with Clinton. But then, a part of him was curious.

"Oh, yeah? What were they like?"

"Well," Clinton started, "all them girls are nice, 'n real polite. Came out ta the garage when Mrs. Sullivan was havin' a bit 'a car trouble. Ya can tell they were all close with one 'nother. A real good family." Taking another puff from his own cigarette, Clinton released the smoke and continued, "Them girls are those fancy educated doctors, but they treated us all the same. No puttin' on airs or shit like that….uh-huh…real nice folk," he nodded.

Daryl noticed a warmth spread throughout his chest. He knew that Olivia was a good person. Clinton's opinion further cemented that fact. Part of him was pleased that others found her likeable.

Both men cocked their ears when noises signaled the approach of a vehicle. They walked towards the commotion that came from the front of the garage.

Deeply inhaling on his cigarette, Daryl squinted and eyed the Dodge Charger that was slowly making its way towards one of the garage bays. Clinton also watched the vehicle's sluggish movement. Three young men, appearing to be in their 20s, climbed out, one by one, from the sporty black car.

Daryl and Clinton snuffed out their cigarettes with their boots and joined the young college men.

"Hey there, guys. What can we do fer ya?" Clinton inquired.

The taller boy with dark hair answered. "Yo bro." He never noticed Clinton's eyebrow raise ever so slightly in disapproval. "I saw grey smoke comin' outta the exhaust pipe whenever I start it up. When can ya look at it?"

Daryl replied, "We can take a look fer ya now. No charge jus' ta check."

The young man who was wearing sunglasses spoke up, "What do think is wrong with it?"

"Could be a number 'a things," Clinton responded as he rubbed his bearded chin while thinking. "It could be the piston rings on the engine. Or could be the valve seals. The valve guides could be damaged."

The Charger was brought into Bay 1 of the garage and hoisted up into the air by the auto lift. While Daryl and Clinton worked on the vehicle, the young men hovered nearby and began chatting about school, which inevitably led to a conversation about the girls in their school.

"Ya goin' ta ask her out?" The blond haired young man asked, directing his question to the taller guy.

"Nah. Her tits 'r too small. Gotta have big ol' titties ta suck on, eh?" He grinned lewdly and the three boys laughed. Daryl rolled his eyes.

"What about the new girl? The one with the dark hair and green eyes?" The young man with the sunglasses prompted.

"Oh yeaaaahh," the taller man groaned. "Now that's what I'm talkin' about. She said her name was Olivia. Did ya see that ass? And those tits?"

"She's already a vet but she wants to refresh her skills," the boy with the sunglasses added.

"I would love ta see what skills she got already," the taller one quipped, causing the three young men to laugh uproariously.

Daryl gritted his teeth, clenching the wrench until his knuckles turned white. Clinton nervously shot a glance in his direction. He had witnessed that Dixon temper before and he was not eager to have a repeat event. Clinton's eyes flickered over to the young man. _Liddol shithead don't know when ta stop, _he thought in disdain. Clinton almost felt sorry for the fool. Almost.

The taller man continued to vocalize his crass and lecherous thoughts to his friends, completely unaware of the attention he was receiving from the redneck.

"Man, what I would do when I git that girl under me. Gonna have her on her back, screamin' my name while I suck on those big tits, 'n her tight pu-"

The young man stopped in mid-sentence when he noticed the facial expressions on his friends. Scott was holding up his sunglasses, away from his face, to get a better look behind him, while A.J. appeared pale and was staring at something off his right shoulder. Slowly, he turned around to see what got their attention. A shitstorm in the form of the redneck mechanic was making its way to their group, in a direct trajectory. They felt the uncontained anger radiating from the older man, as evidenced by the scowl on his face, the tense shoulders and arms, and fists that were clenched tightly.

"What t'fuck… makes ya think… ya can talk… 'bout that girl… in that way? Huh?" Daryl growled out slowly, coming closer and closer to the offensive young man, until their chests bumped, giving out another low growl. Furious blue eyes bore into the younger man's terrified brown ones that were desperately trying to look anywhere but at the redneck. Daryl leaned into the young man far enough so their foreheads touched. "Ya like disrespectin' women? Don'cha ever say those disgustin' things 'bout that girl 'gain, ya hear," he threatened in a quiet tone as his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Or Imma gonna stomp yer puny ass right inta the ground."

The young man gulped nervously, looking like he might just piss himself right there and then. The man before him was older, but he was solid, with broad shoulders and muscular arms. He was sure the redneck had his fair share of fistfights. And he was driven by outrage and that made him quite dangerous. "No, yes, I mean no more, yes I heard," he managed to stutter out.

Daryl emitted another growl in reply.

The boy quickly pulled himself together. He timidly told Daryl and Clinton that they had to go now, he forgot he had an appointment and would come back later. Once his Charger was lowered to the ground, the college boys took off like a bat out of Hell. It was obvious they had no intention of returning.

Dale popped his head out of the office, asking for Daryl to come see him.

_Fuck….gonna git fired now fer chasin' the customer away,_ Daryl thought. He nibbled on the inside of his cheek as he made his way to the office, shutting the door behind him.

"Have a seat, Daryl," Dale invited. "What happened out there?"

"Boy was talkin' dirty 'n nasty things 'bout Mrs. Sullivan's granddaughter. Was disrespectin' her," Daryl answered as he looked down at the ground, feeling ashamed. Sometimes his temper got the best of him.

Dale nodded in understanding. "You were protecting her worth as a human being and not as a sex object. She deserves the respect of her peers."

Daryl kept his eyes to the floor, not quite sure how this would end.

"I'm glad you set your foot down and refused to take any more of that nonsense."

"Huh?" Daryl's head snapped up. "What 'bout the lost customer?"

Dale sighed. "There's money, which is important, don't get me wrong. But…on a greater scale, some things are more important than money. Olivia is a respectable, delightful young woman and she doesn't deserve to be treated in that manner. Any woman doesn't deserve that. Their dignity should be protected."

Offering Daryl a smile, he continued, "You are a good man, Daryl. A man of honor. You have your own code. The world needs more men like you, who don't stand by when something wrong happens."

Daryl sat there, slightly stunned. _Imma good man? _ For a minute, Daryl almost believed him.

**Another Month Later**

_How t'fuck did I git talked inta this?_ Daryl wondered to himself as his truck followed the familiar dirt road to the farmhouse. One minute he and Olivia were talking about school and the next minute she was asking him about the 4th of July BBQ that Dale had for the employees. What the Hell possessed him to invite her to come with him? Maybe it was because he had peered into those wide eyes of hers, looking hopeful at him. He could have sworn that her eyes grew larger when she mentioned it sounded like a lot of fun. Then she took off her damn reading glasses and looked over at him.

Well…he didn't have a bad time last year, so maybe it wouldn't be so bad this year either. Truthfully, it was better than he thought it would be. And there had been plenty of drinks and food. Daryl sighed. _Why t'hell not?_

Daryl pulled up to the farmhouse and sprinted out of his truck. He knocked on the door, even though he still had the key to the house; he wasn't sure if he was supposed to use it now that Olivia was back. She asked him to hang onto it, in case of any emergencies or such.

The door swung open to reveal his enthusiastic friend. "Hi, Daryl! Come in."

Godiva placed her paws on Daryl's legs in greeting, whining while her tail whipped about.

"Hey, Liv," he greeted, shutting the door behind him and bending down to rub and scratch behind the dog's ears. "Ya ready ta ride in the truck 'gain, Godey?"

"Why didn't you use your key?" Olivia asked.

"Dunno." He shrugged, looking at the ground. "Gonna be weird if ya here?"

"No. I don't mind," Olivia said with a smile. "That's what it's for."

"I'm almost ready to go….hey, do people swim at Lake Oswald? Or is it just boating?" she asked.

Daryl thought back to last year. "Yeah, people do swim in the lake. The boats stay farther out in their own area. Some assholes try 'n come closer, but they know they gonna get stomped if'n they do."

"Oh, okay. Let me change a bit." Olivia called over her shoulder as she headed up the stairs. "Can you bring the brownies and pies to the truck?" Although Dale supplied all the food for his guests, Olivia just didn't feel right attending the party empty-handed, so she quickly put together a few plates of brownies and two apple pies during the afternoon.

_Shit._ Daryl clenched his fists at the thought of the other guys getting a good look at her. Dale's group wouldn't be the only people at the lake; there would be other families, other businesses, groups of men.

Ten minutes later, Olivia skipped back down the stairs, in a yellow cotton sundress, his eyes narrowing when he noticed the telltale straps of a swimsuit peeking out from the top. On her way to the front door, her arm reached out to pick up the bag she had on the sofa.

"I just need to put the leash on Godiva and we're ready to go!" She announced.

Daryl opened the passenger door for Olivia, allowing her to slide in comfortably before shutting it.

"Thank you," she smiled up at him. Daryl felt his belly flutter.

He climbed into the driver's seat and glanced at Olivia out of the corner of his eyes. She was smiling and looking out the window, with the excited pup seated between them, harnessed in its own seat belt. Daryl started up the truck.

Later, at Lake Oswald, Daryl easily found a parking space. After opening the door for Olivia, he pulled out the brownies and pies for the picnic from the cooler in the back of the truck.

"Here, I can carry a pie or a plate," she offered with one free hand, while the other was holding onto the leash.

* * *

The guys from the garage were all standing around together, shooting the shit. Luke, the part-timer, was asking George for advice about a girl he was interested in. The girl and Luke shared English 1101 together at the local community college. She caught his eye the second week of school and the boy was smitten.

George was eager to put in his two cents. "Ya gotta spend more time talkin' ta her, see if she's interested in spendin' time with ya. Does she-"

George caught something out of the corner of his eye. He immediately stopped talking while his jaw just hung in the air. Recovering quickly, he roughly elbowed Clinton a few times in quick succession.

"Dammit George, whaddya want?" Clinton nearly shouted at him.

"Dixon's got a girl with him," he explained, almost in disbelief, pointing behind Clinton. "Look."

All three men looked over to where George indicated, frozen in place when they saw a pretty brunette with Daryl. In all the time they've known him, they've never seen Daryl with a girl, and to their knowledge he never had a girlfriend. Hell, the man never even spoke about women in general.

Daryl felt the eyes of his co-workers upon him. Looking up, he found their unabashed stares and a shit-eating grin from Clinton. Daryl gave the whole lot of them his best glare, causing them to look away with some degree of discomfort.

After dropping off the goodies at the food table, Daryl and Olivia made their way to Dale, who was minding the grill in his signature uniform; a 'King of the Grill' apron and a fishermen's hat. He was flipping burgers while laughing with Irma over a shared memory. Dale smiled at Daryl, his eyes lighting up with pleasure when he saw Daryl's guest.

"Olivia, my dear. It's a pleasure to see you again. I'm sorry about your grandmother. Irma was in the hospital that day and we were not able to attend the services. Your grandmother was loved by practically the whole town. She's done so much for the community."

"Hello Mr. Horvath, Mrs. Horvath. It's no problem. I know you cared a great deal for my grandmother and your friendship over the years with her has meant a lot." Turning to Irma, Olivia said, "I'm so glad you are feeling better, Mrs. Horvath."

"Thank you," Irma replied warmly. "And Olivia, please, call me Irma." Dale jumped in. "And call me Dale. No more Mr. and Mrs. business. You're definitely an adult now," he stated, giving her one of his many famous looks.

Olivia laughed. "Okay, I'll do that."

"Now who do we have here?" Irma inquired while looking down at Godiva. The pup was too busy sniffing everything to notice Irma just yet.

"This is Godiva, my baby," Olivia introduced.

Irma bent down to pat its head, causing the dog to look up and start licking at her hand.

Rosita was watching her children while they played when she noticed Daryl walking in with the young lady; her curiosity was piqued. She had never known Daryl to have a girlfriend. Her eyes watched them as they moved about and stopped to talk to Dale and his wife. She didn't know Daryl that well, but he seemed to be a really good man and she would be happy if he found someone.

Quietly, Rosita observed Daryl's interactions with his lady friend. She noticed how Daryl kept stealing glances every now and then. His friend, likewise, was also sneaking peeks at Daryl when she thought he wasn't looking. Rosita's smile widened in approval. Daryl was a good man. Clinton told her about what happened last month at the garage with the young college boys and she was impressed. She did not know Olivia, but from what she'd heard about Mrs. Sullivan and her granddaughters Rosita knew that she would be great for Daryl. He needed somebody who could take care of him.

"Is that Daryl Dixon?"

Rosita glanced to her right. George's wife Sarah was staring at what caught her attention. "Yes, can you believe it?"

Sarah giggled. "I think it's cute. Everyone deserves a chance to be happy. Perhaps Daryl more so than others."

The two women continued observing the gruff man and the pretty lady who accompanied him for a little while longer.

"Mr. Dixon!" Rosita's oldest child, Emma, caught a glimpse of Daryl weaving his way through the crowd to talk to Mr. Horvath. She ran up, breathless, to talk to Daryl, with her younger brother following after her. Her eyes gleamed in pleasure as she saw the brown wriggling puppy that he had with him.

She didn't know Mr. Dixon that well, but Emma could tell he was a nice man. He was really funny too, especially when he cursed. And he cursed a lot. That always made her giggle. Her mom would never let her say those things too. _It must be great to be a grown-up; you can do anything you want._

"Hi, Mr. Dixon!" Emma cried out. Her little brother, Jacob, just arrived and insisted on giving Daryl his own greeting, because he was such a big boy now. "Hi, Misser Dixon."

"Hey, kids," Daryl responded with a nod and a tiny smile.

The children noticed Olivia standing next to Daryl and eyed her curiously. "Who's the pretty lady?" Emma asked shyly, as she and her brother pet Godiva.

Daryl felt his cheeks warm up. "She's ma friend. This here is Olivia," Daryl continued. "'N this here is Emma 'n her liddol brother Jacob. Clinton's kids."

"Hi, Emma. Hi, Jacob. It's so nice to meet you," Olivia greeted with a big smile.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Emma inquired with a touch of innocence. "Are you getting married?" Her eyes widened in delight.

Daryl glanced over at Olivia, her own cheeks were turning pink.

Luckily, Rosita saved him from answering.

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry I was a couple of days late. Whew! A hectic week.**

**Hope you enjoyed that bit of protective/aggressive Daryl. Sigh….one of my favorite parts of the show. Hehehehehe**

**Thanks for the new reviews-lets me know what you really liked about the chappie, and the follows and favorites! **


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13-Madison, GA**

"I miss you so much, sis!"

"Me too," Vanessa agreed. "I didn't get a chance to see you before you moved. Thanks again for taking care of Gran's things. I wish I could have been there for you," she lamented.

"It's okay. You were out of the country. I'm sorry to hear that you and Chris broke up," Olivia voiced her sympathy. "He seemed really nice. What happened?"

Vanessa sighed. "Guess we were just both such busy people. We just grew apart. At least it was an amicable split. Less messy."

Olivia's heart filled with sorrow. She heard the unspoken regret in her sister's voice. "I'm sure once you've had time to heal, you'll be back on track to find a good man," she encouraged. "I know you will find someone worth your time." Vanessa smiled in appreciation, though Olivia couldn't see it.

"Speaking of which….I heard from Anna that you and Daryl have been spending a LOT of time together." Vanessa smirked into the phone. "Spill it," she ordered. "I want the gossip."

"Nessie, there's not much to tell."

"That's a crock of shit, Livy," Vanessa retorted loudly. "I wanna know."

Olivia huffed in annoyance. She loved her sister, but sometimes she was a big pain in her butt.

"Daryl's a good friend. He dropped me off and picked me up at the airport. He took me around town to get errands done. We went to the county fair once. During the month I was gone, he watched over Gran's house."

Olivia had no idea of the grin that stretched from ear to ear on her sister's face. Vanessa knew there was something more to that "friend" than what Olivia thought. No man would spend so much time and energy helping someone he was not interested in. No man! Vanessa had much more experience with men than Olivia did. Her sister was rather naïve when it came to things like that. Perhaps it was that unsuspecting nature that allowed Olivia to get so hurt with Evan. Vanessa was disgusted by him and part of her would have loved to kick his ass for causing Olivia so much anguish.

"And….I heard that he brought you to his company BBQ," Vanessa added. "He sounds like a great guy. What do you think of him?"

"Daryl is really nice and he's so sweet," Olivia stated with a small smile as she laid on her back, chatting with her sister.

"I think he just might like you, Livy."

"What?" Olivia's eyes widened. "I don't think he's interested in me in that way. He's just nice."

Vanessa spoke with a degree of certainty. "He wouldn't have done all those things for you if he didn't like you at all. He wouldn't care."

Olivia disagreed. "Whatever, sis. We're just friends."

With a roll of her eyes, Vanessa changed the subject since her sister's infamous stubbornness was out in full force, knowing she wouldn't get anywhere with her. "Our birthday's coming up in two weeks! Since I have to be out of town that weekend, I'll send out your present. I'm sure you'll still have a great day!"

Olivia hid her disappointment. She really wanted to be with her sisters for their birthday. But she understood. Vanessa said she had a lecture to present in Texas and Samantha was busy with the new baby. She was hoping that the lecture was canceled, but it was still a go. They didn't always get to spend their birthdays together, but they did try to make an effort. It had been awhile since the last time.

* * *

**2 Weeks Later**

Olivia woke up 10 minutes ago, but she just didn't feel like getting up from the warm, cozy bed. She laid there, thinking about how the years just flew by. Today, she officially began her third decade of life.

Pushing herself out of bed, she undressed to shower, pausing to gaze upon her reflection in the dresser mirror. Olivia noticed subtle changes in her body as she aged, which didn't really bother her much. It was a normal part of life. Her metabolism was slower than when she was a teenager and she had very slight crinkles in the corners of her eyes when she smiled. Her hips filled out a little more compared to the figure she had in high school. She looked at her breasts, then lifted her arms straight up, noticing in the mirror how "the girls" perked up, then dropping her arms, she saw how they looked "less confident". Olivia sighed. That was to be expected. Breasts can only take so much gravity over the years. Her less bosom-y friends still had the boobs of a twenty-year-old.

After her shower, Olivia got dressed in a plain cotton bra and panties and a clean T-shirt and yoga pants. She sprinted downstairs to get breakfast going, meeting Godiva in the kitchen. "There you are, sweetie. You were up so early!" The puppy was just coming back in from outside. Daryl had installed a doggie door in the back door, allowing the pup to come and go when she needed to do her business. "Such a good dog," Olivia praised, patting her head, while Godiva's tail whipped back and forth in a frenzy, pleased to have received recognition.

"Daryl's going to take you out hunting soon, you like that, huh? You going to be good for him too?" Olivia continued to pat and scratch, smiling down at her puppy; her growing puppy. She couldn't believe how big the dog was now. When she was rescued, she was a tiny pitiful thing. Being half-starved, she was small for her age and breed. It appeared Godiva was catching up quickly.

Daryl asked her about taking Godiva out to hunt and train. She loved that idea. Olivia knew he cared a lot about her dog and vice versa. He was one of Godiva's favorite people.

Olivia washed her hands and began to work, pulling out the breakfast casserole she prepped yesterday. She preheated the oven, and while waiting, she cleaned and prepared the food and water bowls for her dog. When the oven beeped, she shoved the casserole dish inside and set it for 35 minutes. Taking out the melon, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries from the refrigerator, Olivia washed and cut up the fruit for a refreshing fruit salad.

Daryl walked into the kitchen just as she placed the lid onto the bowl of fruit and pushed it into the refrigerator.

"Mornin', Liv," he greeted her with a tiny smile. "Somethin' always smells good in here."

"Good morning, Daryl." Olivia returned his smile tenfold.

"Apple-Raisin French Toast Casserole. And we have fresh fruit salad also."

Daryl felt the warmth permeate his chest. It started off like a fluttering sensation, then he swore he felt actual heat; a soft and warm wave that wrapped around his heart. He liked how she made sure he was fed good meals.

"But it's going to be about a half hour. I just put it into the oven." She smiled sheepishly, "Sorry." _Huh….he didn't mention my birthday….did he forget? _For some reason, Olivia felt a pang of disappointment. Then again, it wasn't like they were together or anything like that, so she definitely didn't expect a gift, but still even as friends, a verbal greeting would have been nice.

"Nah, ain't a problem. Here early anyway," Daryl reassured. He swallowed thickly, patting his back pocket, reassuring himself that the object was still there. _When t'hell should I give it her? _he wondered. He took a breath to calm himself down when his heart rate picked up. Part of him berated himself for acting like a pussy. _Ain't proposin' or shit, jus' a birthday present. Fuck, what if I got the date wrong? _No, he remembered she said it was July 31, Harry Potter's birthday and today was the 31st. He was sure of that. Rent was due on the first of the month and he had just stopped by the landlord's on his way here.

When Olivia mentioned to him about her birthday, he was overcome with the urge to give her something. Why, he would never know. Daryl just knew he HAD to. He wanted to. He longed to see her smile. Once he really thought about it, he remembered he didn't really have much money except for what he saved and the money that Mrs. Sullivan left for him. Somehow, Daryl didn't think Olivia would want something expensive. From what he gathered, the girl didn't have one materialistic bone in her body.

With that, Daryl had an idea. He would give something of himself. So, every day for the last two weeks, he worked in secret.

_Awww, shit. _Daryl decided there and then he would just get it over with and quit fretting about it like a damn pussy. He removed the object from his pocket and marched right over to the counter, where she was preparing their lunch for later.

"Here," Daryl announced as he thrust the object towards Olivia. "Happy birthday," he mumbled.

Olivia looked up from what she was doing and turned her head to the side, coming face-to-face with an object clumsily wrapped in newspaper and tied with….._is that dental floss? _ Olivia hid her smile. Somehow that just seemed so….Daryl.

She washed her hands off, then dried them on the clean kitchen towel sitting on the counter and gently took the gift from his grasp. "Thank you, Daryl. You didn't have to, you know," she smiled. Her heart felt lighter.

Daryl waved off her thanks, then began chewing on his thumbnail.

Olivia sat down on the barstool and began to open the package, first by pulling on the bow made of dental floss. "Didn't think of gettin' any fancy gift wrap or ribbon," he explained self-consciously.

"I think it's very charming and different."

A blush crept into Daryl's cheeks as he took in her words.

When the newspaper was uncovered, all Olivia could do was to hold her breath. Slowly, she exhaled, "Ooohh." Her eyes became misty, while a lump formed in her throat. Reverently, a finger reached out to caress one side of the figurine, as a tear slowly escaped her eye.

Olivia was looking at an intricately carved piece of wood. _It's me,_ she realized. _And Godiva. _The wood carving was of a young woman, with flowing hair and a glorious smile upon her face. She was sitting down, petting her dog, who sat up at attention by her side. She leaned in closer to it and gasped. The detail was absolutely amazing. She saw the expression on the woman's face so clearly and the dog was extremely detailed as well; even the fur on the dog was noticeable.

Daryl gulped nervously. Olivia was quiet and he noticed the tear that came down her cheek. He felt ashamed that it wasn't what she wanted, angry with himself because he let her down. "I can git ya somethin' else, somethin' ya like better," he offered.

Olivia stood up, shaking her head. Before Daryl could register what happened, he felt the warmth from her body on his, her arms wrapping around him in a gentle, but firm hug.

"Thank you, Daryl," she whispered. "It's so beautiful. I love it." She held on to him tighter.

"Yer welcome, Liv." For the life of him he would never understand women. Don't they cry when they were sad?

He was relieved that Olivia liked her gift. For the last two weeks, he carved and whittled that piece of wood, working every chance he got. A few times, he had to take it out in the woods, so that Merle couldn't see what he was up to. The last thing he needed was for him to get on his ass.

She pulled away from him with a huge grin. "What made you think of this?"

Immediately, he mourned the loss of her warmth. Daryl shrugged, looking at his feet, before he looked up again. "Dunno. Thought you might like somethin' of ya 'n Godiva. Fer yer doll curio."

Olivia beamed at him, the corners of her eyes crinkling slightly. "Well, I love it."

"Hey," she asked suspiciously, "didn't you say my dolls were creepy?"

Daryl flapped his hand at her in response.

* * *

After wiping off the wooden figurine, Olivia placed it inside the doll curio, finding the perfect spot for it. She stood there, admiring her whole collection. Now she had something of herself and her puppy.

"I just love all their pretty little faces. Each one is so unique. I can't help but wonder about who used to own them, who used to play with them," she spoke, wide-eyed. "Children took better care of their toys back then; more careful with them."

Daryl scrutinized the dolls inside the case. Yeah, he was still creeped out by them. But some of them did have a serene expression.

"This one is a China Head from the Civil War era," she pointed. "And that is a Milliner's Model from the same time period, but her head is made of paper mache."

"This doll," Olivia directed with a wave, "is a French Fashion doll, from the Jumeau company. She's all original with her trunk and extra outfits. I can't believe people used to dress like that. Such fine fabrics and expert tailoring. In doll clothing and people clothing."

Daryl grunted. He still thought it was creepy. And stupid. Why bother collecting things? For what purpose? At least the wood figurine he gave her was about her. These things in the cabinet really had nothing to do with her.

He studied the tiny flowered hat that sat jauntily on top of the doll's head and its facial expression. He noted the tight, fitted clothing. It appeared to be a long-sleeved jacket over a voluminous skirt. Daryl wondered how the fuck could a woman move around in such heavy and restrictive clothing.

* * *

Lunch was a big hit. Daryl enjoyed the pad Thai so much, he ended up with a second helping. And to think he was skeptical at first. Dessert was usually something he jumped right into; certainly didn't need any convincing. He had a second helping of the mango pudding she made as well. Daryl's sweet tooth was quite impressive.

After Olivia finished cleaning up in the kitchen, she pulled out some textbooks.

While finishing up the homework that was assigned, Olivia heard a car pull up to the farmhouse and doors opening and closing. Curious, she got up to investigate. Opening the front door, she couldn't believe her eyes. With a shriek, she threw open the screen door and proceeded to dash right down the front steps. A dark-haired woman standing by the taxi turned around and caught Olivia in her arms, hugging her without mercy. The second woman paid the taxi driver and joined the two sobbing women in a tight hug.

"Nessie! Sammy! Oh, my God! I can't believe you guys are here!" Olivia gushed. Narrowing her eyes, she stepped back. "Hey, you guys said you couldn't get together for our birthday."

"We lied." With a straight face, Vanessa answered truthfully. "We wanted to surprise you."

Olivia slapped her arm, "And you guys called me yesterday to thank me for the birthday gifts I sent. Not even saying a word…."

"Owww," Vanessa protested with a frown, while she rubbed the sore area.

"We missed you so much!" Samantha cried. "We'll make it a girls' weekend. Hubby has Mika and Ollie. I pumped SO many bags of milk I feel like I should start mooing." They shared a hearty laugh.

Hurriedly, the three women entered the house with their luggage.

Godiva was having a ball; she remembered Samantha and Vanessa gave her a new scent to explore. Her tail lashed out while she whined and rubbed herself all over the house guests in greeting. Samantha plucked the dog up in mid-wriggle, accepting some of the licks that came her way. "You missed me, huh?" Vanessa held her hand up to pet the puppy and to let it get familiar with her scent.

"Livy, we made reservations for tomorrow morning at Pure Bliss Spa, right here in Madison," Vanessa announced. "Have you been there yet? We have to celebrate in style, don't we? It's the big 3-0!"

"No, I haven't though I wanted to go," answered Olivia. "Things just have been so busy."

"Shit, don't remind me, Nessie. I don't know about you, but I'm feeling my age already," Samantha added. "Well, we each have a facial and a massage tomorrow, then we can find somewhere for lunch. The rest we will plan as we go."

Olivia ran upstairs to prep two bedrooms for her guests, taking one of the luggage pieces with her, while Samantha helped pull the other suitcase upstairs. Godiva chased after them, with her tongue comically hanging out the side of her mouth.

* * *

Daryl just finished cleaning out the stable, stopping to take out the red bandana from his back pocket and wipe his face with it. He blew out a breath. The goddamn heat was beating him down. He headed to the house to grab a cold glass of lemonade to quench his thirst. A rivulet of sweat dribbled down the middle of his back.

Once he arrived at the back porch, Daryl noticed his boots were filthier than ever and he toed them off before entering the kitchen.

He saw Olivia digging around in the refrigerator. "Hey, Liv, ya hungry already?" he teased with a half smirk. His eyes noted her new attire. "Why ja change?

Vanessa looked up when she heard someone come in. Her head tilted slightly while she studied the man before her. _This must be Daryl,_ she thought. _He's cute._

Vanessa shrugged in reply. _This is going to be fun. _She fought to keep her smirk hidden.

"Daryl, why don't you sit down?" she invited with a smile. "I'll get you some lemonade." Vanessa poured out a glass and set it down in front of him.

Daryl nodded his thanks and took a large gulp from his drink. Something felt a little…off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He did not feel comfortable like he always did with Olivia. His perceptive eyes swept around the room and scanned Olivia's face, noting nothing out of the ordinary.

"Were you just out in the field or in the stable?" she inquired.

"Stable. Needed cleanin'," he replied suspiciously, remembering he did tell her where he was going after lunch. Olivia stood closer to him. Daryl tensed, feeling something was not right. Baffled, he was trying hard to figure out why he felt so on edge. Then…his eyes narrowed, wariness settling over him. On a hunch, Daryl stood up from the chair and stepped closer to her, while his eyes took in her bare feet. He then leaned in a little closer, to inspect her eyes. Green, but….the shade was lighter and there was only a small amount of golden flecks. The black ring around the iris was not as thick, and was slightly blurry. Daryl was certain this was not Olivia; something was up.

"Alright, alright, you got me," Vanessa confessed. "You sure are observant aren't you?"

"Where's Ah-Livya?" Daryl scowled.

"She's upstairs with Sammy. I'm Nessie, the other sister," Vanessa explained, introducing herself. "I'm sorry, but I just couldn't help myself," she grinned.

Daryl nodded. There was no harm done, though he was annoyed. Olivia did talk about her sisters. He remembered she told him that Vanessa liked to pull pranks, even more so when they were kids. Somehow, she talked Olivia into taking her driver's license test for her.

Olivia and her sister stepped into the kitchen. "Oh, Daryl! I see you've met my sister Vanessa. We call her Nessie, ever since she was eight years old. She became infatuated with the Loch Ness monster." Vanessa rolled her eyes playfully.

"And that's Sammy, or Samantha," Olivia pointed out with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you Daryl," Samantha grinned. "Thank you again for taking care of the house while Livy was taking care of things before the move."

"S'no problem," Daryl nodded, with a slight blush.

* * *

After supper, the girls sat around the living room, discussing where to go for birthday festivities, while Daryl offered to clean up the kitchen, partly to be away from the new people and partly because he wanted her to spend as much time with her family as possible. He knew she missed them dearly.

"We need to go out to celebrate our birthday in style," Vanessa declared.

Samantha asked, "What's there to do around here?"

Vanessa's eyes lit up. "We should go dancing!"

"Dancing? I haven't done that in a while," Olivia countered.

"Ditto," Samantha added.

"All the more reason to do so." Vanessa's eyes glinted in mischief, turning to Olivia. "There'll be booze and boys."

There was a clang coming from the kitchen. With gritted teeth, Daryl had dropped the spoon he was holding when Vanessa suggested dancing. Well, it wasn't the dancing part that irritated him; more so the boys. His eyes narrowed into slits.

Luckily there wasn't any bad shit at the Fourth of July BBQ earlier this month. Daryl had to glare at a couple of guys who were ogling Olivia, but they quickly changed their minds. _Goddamn black bikini. That girl got nothin' else but bikinis?_

Vanessa smirked as an idea popped into her head. "Hey Dary!" she called loudly into the kitchen. "You want to come with us to celebrate Olivia's birthday?"

* * *

Daryl could kick himself. He didn't know what possessed him to join Olivia and her sisters. _Why t'hell did I agree? _ The last thing he wanted was to be forced to be social. Then he recalled wanting to keep the assholes away from Olivia. He scowled at himself in the mirror before rushing out to grab his keys. _Thank fuckin' God Merle was out findin' himself a piece 'a ass fer t'night. _ Merle would have never let up if he found out.

Striding out to his motorcycle, Daryl quickly grabbed the helmet and plastered it on to his head, hair still damp from his recent shower. He would have preferred to just let his hair thrash in the wind, but the last thing he needed was to get pulled over by some asshole cop for breaking the law. Daryl used his booted foot to bring the kickstand up before he started the bike and began the ride back to Olivia's.

Meanwhile, the girls were still putting on the final touches for their evening out.

"You can't be serious, Livy. It's your birthday. And we are going dan-cing," Vanessa said in a sing-song voice as she moved her hips about. She eyed her sister's outfit critically. "This just won't do."

"What's wrong with what I've got on?"

Vanessa sighed. "Jeans and a tank top. Too plain. We are getting dressed up," she replied, emphasizing the "up".

Rummaging through her suitcase, Vanessa pulled out something and tossed it to Olivia. "Here, I packed this in case of emergency, and this is DEFINITELY an emergency."

Olivia stared at the black leather item she caught. "What is this? A tube top?"

Vanessa laughed. "It's a skirt, silly. Put it on."

"Geez, it looks like there's barely enough material to be a skirt," Olivia eyed the piece with reproach.

"Trust me. That's what people wear to go dancing." Vanessa headed over to Olivia's closet, in search of a top to go with the leather mini-skirt.

It didn't take very long. Vanessa knew her sister arranged her clothes in order; all tops separate from bottoms, tops were grouped by collar style and sleeve length. Bottoms were grouped by style and length; skirts, then shorts, then capris, then pants. Each sub-category was organized into casual and dressy, with casual clothing placed before dressy. Within moments, Vanessa found what she was looking for and immediately brought the item back to Olivia.

"This will be perfect with the skirt," Vanessa stated smugly. "You wore this before when we went dancing in L.A., didn't you?"

Olivia inspected the black and red shirt. It was an off-the-shoulder top, with ¾ sleeves, and a thin gold metallic belt. _Yes, it would work._

* * *

Daryl knocked on the door and waited. He didn't think it was appropriate to use his key when Olivia's sisters were here. Hearing muffled barking coming from inside the house, he shook his head with a smirk. _That dog_.

The door opened about a minute later. "Hi Daryl, we're just about ready. Livy's upstairs. She'll be down in a jiffy."

Daryl stepped into the house. "Thanks… Samantha?" At first, he wasn't sure which sister this was, not being able to see her left hand for a wedding ring, but based on his earlier observations, he guessed Samantha. Her eyes were also light green in color, like Vanessa, but Samantha was just a little thicker in the waist, though she wasn't by any means heavy. Daryl supposed it was because she had two children, just having recently given birth to one of them.

He bent down to pat Godiva's head before the pup ran off upstairs.

Samantha grinned. "You're good at this."

"Daryl! So glad you could join us," Vanessa nearly shouted as she was coming down the stairs, with Olivia not far behind her.

When his eyes landed on Olivia, he nearly choked. The girl was wearing a black and red top that exposed some of her shoulders and an impossibly short skirt. _'ny shorter 'n it'd be a fuckin' headband_. Daryl's gaze traveled upwards and took in her face. Normally, Olivia didn't wear much make-up, if any at all. But tonight, her eyes were lined in a soft black, with a neutral color shaded on her eyelids, her cheekbones held a hint of color, and a soft reddish tint was applied on her lips. _Goddammit._ Daryl felt himself begin to harden. He blew out a few breaths to calm himself down. The last thing he needed was get a hard-on in front of her and her sisters.

"Hi, Daryl," Olivia greeted him with a smile. Her emerald orbs feasted on the sight before her. Daryl was clean, the cleanest she had ever seen him; not that dirt bothered her. He had on a fresh pair of black jeans without any holes or tears and his usual sleeveless shirt and boots. What was new was the black leather vest he sported, which really suited him. Olivia's throat went dry and she tried to swallow or clear it. Those annoying fluttering sensations in her belly reappeared and she was fighting to make them go away.

"Hey, Liv," Daryl mumbled shyly. He noticed now that she was probably his height or even taller. His eyes glanced down at the strappy platform high heels she wore. _Shiiiittt. _Daryl had to fight for control of his body once again.

"Are we ready to go?" Samantha inquired, as she grabbed her own wristlet, which contained her ID and a few $20 bills.

* * *

The four of them piled into the taxi that arrived just before 10 pm at the house; Olivia's car was a two-seater, as was Daryl's bike and there was no other mode of transportation, since no one was familiar with the bus schedule. Not that anyone wanted to take the bus after a late night of dancing anyway.

The taxi sped off after Vanessa paid the fare, dropping them off in front of the Tongue & Groove Club. The clamorous music was so loud, the beats seemed like they were thumping along inside their chests. Taking out his wallet, Daryl insisted on paying the cover for them, if there was one. Usually women had free admission to clubs and bars.

Walking in further, the group parted their way through the crowd towards the bar. The glare from the strobe lights was almost unbearable. The lights seemed to flash in a haphazard manner, with no distinguishable pattern. Writhing bodies, some scantily dressed, were packed tightly on the revolving dance floor. The slow spin allowed the dancers, who were moving in time with the music, to be seen from all corners of the room.

Daryl gestured to the girls, indicating that he would pay for the first round, in honor of their birthdays. Vanessa smiled and nodded, as did Samantha. Olivia smiled over at him and mouthed a soundless "thank you" to him. Samantha shouted out her request for a beer while Vanessa had a yearning for a Jack and Coke. When Daryl looked to Olivia, she shrugged, not quite sure what to order; she never was much of a drinker, though she did love the sweet, frozen drinks. Behind the bar, she noticed with a grin, several machines continuously churning those frozen alcoholic delights. She caught Daryl's attention and pointed to the purple concoction. Daryl looked up at the label; 'Purple Orgasm'. _Jesus_. With a blush, he ordered her drink and beverages for the rest of them, before finding a table to situate themselves at. Olivia stayed behind with Daryl to help him carry the drinks, while her sisters remained at the table, waiting for their return.

_Mmmmm, yummy_, Olivia thought, as she sucked down the sweet, slushy liquid in her plastic cup. It tasted like grape Kool-Aid, but frozen; perfect for a summer's night.

Daryl noticed her enthusiasm as he sipped his second beer and he leaned over a little more, to talk in her ear, since the music was so loud. Instantly, he was hit with a subtle fruity scent, like berries. "Ya gotta take it easy, there, girl. May be sweet, but got alcohol all the same," he cautioned. He stole one more sniff from her hair before he sat back up, feeling like some kind of pervert.

Olivia watched him savor his beer. Curious, she leaned in to ask him for a sip. Daryl obliged, handing her the bottle, holding his breath when her lips wrapped around it before she tilted back. He let her have her taste, smirking when her face screwed up in disgust. _Well, she wanted ta know. _

After a little while, the sisters got up to dance while Daryl stayed back, shaking his head at the invitation. From his table, Daryl had a relatively good view of the dance floor, keeping his eyes on the girls. For some reason, he felt responsible for them, which was crazy. They were adults and could take care of themselves, but still…. He kept watch over his little group on the dance floor.

Daryl surveyed the room, from one end to another, noticing one raunchy couple who were grinding on each other in the center of the dance floor. His eyes came upon Olivia, who was smiling wide, her body contorting in sinuous movements as she danced with her sisters. Swallowing the lump that formed in his throat, Daryl took a generous gulp of his beer, as Olivia caught his eye and crooked one finger in his direction. Daryl smirked, shaking his head once more to decline.

He scanned the room once more, the floor completing yet another rotation, his eyes coming back to the girls, and narrowing when he saw one guy saunter up to Olivia, trying to talk to her. His observant eyes picked up on her strained but polite smile as she shook her head in response to whatever question he asked. Samantha looked annoyed while Vanessa kept a watchful gaze on her, then turned to the man and said something. The man raised his hands as in defeat and skulked away. Daryl relaxed his posture once he realized the man was smart enough to leave.

After the song ended, Olivia fanned her hands repeatedly in front of her in an attempt to cool off. She gestured to her sisters, to see if any of them wanted drinks. Before heading to the bar, she stopped by the table in case Daryl wanted another beer.

Daryl nodded his head in thanks as Olivia took her $20 bill out of her tiny purse and wandered over to the bar, leaning on it to gain the bartender's attention. Daryl moved his eyes from her to her sisters and back again, keeping a constant vigil.

After a few minutes, he was alarmed to find that same man from the dance floor had Olivia cornered on her way back to the table. In her hands, she held the beer for him and another frozen drink, a pink one. Her eyes flitted from side to side, looking for a way to escape. In a panic, he sprang up out of his seat and stomped over to them, growling when he witnessed the man grab Olivia by the arm to pull her off to the side.

"Ya best leave the lady 'lone fella or I reckon ya ain't gonna have a good night," Daryl growled, his voice loud and steady, as his eyes narrowed dangerously into slits.

The man turned to his right and his expression changed, from suggestive to condescending, as soon as his eyes landed on the redneck standing beside him. He guffawed as he scanned Daryl from head to toe. "What's it to you? No backwoods hick would have a chance with this woman," he stated. "Now, you best leave us the hell 'lone," he mocked, using a somewhat distorted Southern accent.

"Ain't gonna warn ya 'gain," Daryl promised, his anger boiling out of his skin by now.

The man showed just how much of a fool he truly was; in the next instant he reached out to seize Olivia by her arm again, causing to her wince slightly from the undue pressure of his grasp. Daryl roared in anger, his vision turning red, and lashed out, delivering a solid punch to the stranger's jaw, causing him to release Olivia, who staggered backwards from the momentum.

The two men were heavily involved in their brawl, oblivious to the cheers and rants from the crowd that surrounded them. Daryl managed to get in several good punches, but unfortunately he also took a few hits as well. Both his eyes began to swell, as well as his cheek. Rolling around on the floor and panting from the effort, he fought off the man's attack on his ribs and dropped a heavy punch into the other man's gut.

Before he knew it, Daryl was pulled off the man by two police officers. His temper was still flaring for a few seconds as he struggled in their grasp before he realized his predicament. His eyes met Olivia's and darted away, not being able to bear her judgment; his heart instantly sank. He let his temper get the best of him again; always quick to anger. He was beginning to think that the man was right; just a backwoods hick. A piece of shit who ruined the girls' birthday celebration. Defeated, he hung his head in shame.

The crowd had dissipated somewhat, when there wasn't anything worth to see. Earlier, Olivia's sisters had pushed through the crowd to see what all the excitement was and they were startled to see her in the middle of it and Daryl brawling with the man from before. Now when everything died down, they had a moment to think.

"Wow….a man willing to beat down another man to protect his woman…that is just so…." Samantha started.

"Hot," Vanessa finished, as they both stood there, transfixed.

Olivia had seen her sisters when the crowd thinned, but her first concern was Daryl. She ran up to the officers, relieved that she knew them, or was at least familiar with them. "Sheriff Grimes, Deputy Walsh," she greeted. "He was only protecting me. From him," she explained, pointing to the other man who was just getting up off the floor. "That man tried to pick us up, my sisters and I, and we declined. When I was alone, he snuck over to me and grabbed me by my arm to pull me away. Daryl witnessed this and tried to intervene with a request to leave me alone. The man gripped my arm again and that's when Daryl stepped in." She pointed to the bruises that were already forming on her upper arms.

At a nod from the Sheriff, Deputy Walsh let go of Daryl, who shrugged angrily away from his reach, glaring at the officer.

Sheriff Grimes rubbed his face tiredly as he considered the young woman's statement. He knew the Dixons didn't have the best reputation, but he believed that a person showed his or her true character by actions, and the hostile man standing in front of him was looking out for his female friend. "Okay," he looked at Daryl, "we'll just let this one go. But in the future, it would be best to let the police handle things."

"Miss, did you want to press charges against the other man?" Deputy Walsh inquired.

She did, but then Olivia wondered if she went ahead, if that man could press charges against Daryl. She decided not to find out. "No," she answered, shaking her head.

After a few more minutes of talking to the officers, Olivia and Daryl were free to go, much to everyone's relief.

Olivia opened the front door while Samantha paid the taxi driver. Everyone was tired out from the long night, not to mention the stress of the fight.

Vanessa and Samantha plodded upstairs, the loss of their earlier pep evident, to turn in for the night. Godiva followed the sisters upstairs with a yawn. Olivia brought Daryl into the downstairs bathroom to tend to his injuries; thankful they were not serious. She had him sit on the toilet after she put the lid down first.

Her brows knitted in concern. He had been quiet during the whole ride back. Daryl was always quiet, but she picked up on something else, something that might be bothering him. Sensing he needed some time to think, she stayed silent while she cleaned off his cuts and scrapes with soap and water, then disinfected them with some rubbing alcohol, speaking only when necessary. Olivia cleaned off his split and bloody knuckles as well, and wrapped gauze around his hands. Gently, she applied the antibacterial ointment she bought after her foot incident, then placed a few bandages on him.

"Thank you for protecting me, Daryl, trying to keep me safe."

_T'fuck?_ His head popped up so he could look at her.

"No one has done that for me before. Willing to get hurt so I won't be," Olivia spoke in sincerity.

Daryl lowered his head again to stare at his feet. "But I ruined yer birthdays. Imma jus' dumb fuck who can't control his temper."

Soft fingers cupped his chin, gently lifting his head. Eyes of the deepest green he ever saw peered into his own blue ones. "I mean it, Daryl. Thank you. My sisters care more about my safety than dancing or drinking. They think you're a hero."

"Ain't no hero."

"Yes, you are."

Daryl began to sit up straighter as he processed her words.

"I need to check your ribs, to make sure you don't have any that are broken," she spoke softly, regarding him in concern. Although Daryl didn't have any trouble breathing, she wanted to be sure. She did have a feeling that even if Daryl was in pain, he was not one to admit it. After waiting to see if there were any words of protest, Olivia slipped her hands under his vest and slowly pushed it off his shoulders, folding it in half and laying it across Daryl's lap. "Shirt stays on," he mumbled. Olivia nodded.

With the lightest of touches, her hands slipped under his shirt, fingers skimming over his ribs, with enough pressure to detect anything unusual. She was supposed to be examining his ribs, but Olivia found herself marveling in the feel of his warm skin, the way his muscles rolled under her fingertips. Her palpations did not uncover anything serious, which put her at ease.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Olivia suggested that she should check his back ribs as well. With that, Daryl snapped his head up, glaring. "No fuckin' way, Liv."

"But Daryl-" she protested.

"Goddammit, I SAID NO!" Daryl shouted.

Olivia glared right back at him. "I saw fists flying everywhere, Daryl. I know that jerk got in a good hit or two on your back. I feel bad enough that you got hurt because of me." Her voice softened, as well as her expression. "Imagine how much worse I would feel if your injuries were serious and I didn't do anything to help you, like you always help me."

Daryl mulled over her words, still scowling. He couldn't let her see his shame. Those scars….

"Please," she implored. Olivia had a feeling he was hiding something. No matter how insanely high the temperature soared, Daryl kept his shirt on. She remembered most of the farmhands would strip the moment one bead of sweat appeared on their skin.

Daryl released a long sigh, as if he had given up, willing to accept defeat. Slowly, he unbuttoned his shirt and let it drop from his body, as he tensed, ready for the judgment and disgust that he was certain to receive, turning his body slightly so Olivia could have easier access.

Her gaze wandered over the expanse of skin. Her heart shattered into a million pieces when she realized that someone did this; it wasn't an accident. Judging by the healed tissue, this happened many decades ago….which meant Daryl was only a little boy when the injuries occurred. Waves of black fury rolled out and wrapped around Olivia's heart, so thick she could hardly breathe through the pain. A parent would definitely have noticed if school bullies were the culprit, so there would be no way it could have continued. Which meant only one thing….a parent did this. Tears pricked her eyes and she blinked to lessen the sting, but it didn't work.

Olivia was silent as she palpated his back ribs, just to make sure there weren't any surprises here. She had an urge to rub his scars, hoping to soothe him for all the pain he endured. If there was a way for her to take his burden, she gladly would. This was why Daryl was anti-social, aggressive, untrusting, abrasive, and caustic. Anybody who grew up like that would be. But Olivia had seen more than just that. Daryl was kind, considerate, sweet, protective, intelligent, and funny, with a dry sense of humor. He had a big heart, but he didn't let everyone in it.

Daryl had braced himself for the onslaught of pity and revulsion, the judgment, but there was nothing. Olivia continued to examine his ribs, in silence. He heard a light sniffle behind him. He took her hand, then pivoted on his seat, daring to look into her eyes. Maybe there wouldn't be pity, he hoped. What he saw was concern…and anger, as well as moisture. With a questioning look, he stared at her.

Gently, she stroked the hair away from his eyes. "Your ribs are fine," Olivia whispered.

"You should stay here. It's late and you've probably had a few beers."

Daryl opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it when he saw her plant one hand on her hip and raise an eyebrow. He knew better than to argue with her and nodded once.

She smiled and went upstairs to the hall closet to pull fresh linens out for the downstairs bedroom. Daryl sat there a few moments more, wondering what the hell just happened. A lightness spread itself throughout his body, something he hadn't felt before.

Olivia returned a few minutes later with linens and a couple of ice packs for his face and knuckles. Daryl laid out on the guest bed while she retrieved his vest from the bathroom. He was so tired, it seemed he forgot all about it with the promise of a comfortable bed. After the adrenaline rushed out of his system, Daryl felt slightly groggy, perhaps the beers he indulged in also played a part.

After laying Daryl's vest over the back of a chair, Olivia stood by the bed, watching Daryl. He wasn't asleep yet, just laying on his back, eyes blinking. Quietly, she untied his heavy boots and pulled them off, placing them in the corner. Olivia turned back to him, pausing for a moment or two before kicking off her high heels, and slipped onto the bed, turning so that she was facing him. His bright blue eyes regarded her in curiosity before he also turned on his side to face her.

"My…my daddy did this ta me," Daryl explained. "Started in on me when I was jus' a kid, maybe 6 or 7. Merle got it too, until he left for the Army, but he came back. Momma died when I was liddol….so it was jus' me 'n him for a while."

Olivia waited for him to go on.

"Why were ya cryin' fer me? Ya looked pissed."

Olivia swallowed. She knew Daryl would not want pity. That would absolutely kill him, to have people feel sorry for him.

"It made me angry. To see good people hurt by bad people, especially children. Don't understand why parents would do that to their children. They're supposed to love them and protect them, keep them safe." Olivia scooted closer to Daryl. "If I could take your burden, I would you know."

Daryl scanned her face and her eyes. The girl was serious. Why she would ever give a shit about someone like him was beyond his understanding. While he was processing this information, his lids became heavier and heavier, his breathing grew steady and rhythmic.

Olivia continued to lay on her side, her gaze swept over him, then rested on his face. _He is_ _really cute._ His face was relaxed, without the tension that was usually present, making him appear slightly younger. Shaggy hair fell over his eyes and Olivia couldn't resist reaching out to brush his wispy bangs back. She studied the scruff that grew, surrounding thin lips and a tiny mole near the corner of his mouth. _Yeah, he really was handsome._ Olivia didn't think that Daryl thought of himself in that way. She smiled to herself; he was a humble man, modest. It was a refreshing change from having to deal with conceited men who thought the world revolved around them.

_Oh….geez,_ her eyes widened. _I like him…more than as a friend. But does he like me that way? _ Her sister's words fluttered back to her.

Emerald eyes swept over the sleeping form. Olivia didn't like smoking, nor she was a fan of tattoos, and she was wary of motorcycles, but somehow Daryl appealed to her; not her usual "type" if she had one. The two or three men she dated did not smoke, have tattoos, or ride. After mulling it over, she concluded that it was Daryl himself; the man drew her to him.

Panic began to creep into her heart as she recalled how vulnerable she was when she gave her trust to another. Olivia remembered the crushing heartbreak and it was something she did not want to have repeated.

As sleep slowly claimed her for the night, she believed Daryl would be different. _He's not like that._

**Author's Note:**

**Wow...this chappie ended up being a monster at almost 8k words...geez... and to think I took a section out for the next chapter!**

**Hope you enjoyed more of protective Daryl. Hehehehe. I always do. I was reminded recently of that yummy growl, so I had to include that detail in here. **

**Thank you very much for those reviews, favorites, and follows! Makes me giggle. A lot.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys! Just letting you know this chappie is split into 2 locations. Madison, GA and Baton Rouge, LA, where Olivia's seminar is, and then back home. I've noted the location before the section so you can see. Hope it's not too confusing. Originally I had this chapter start at the seminar, but the last chapter was so long I had to cut the last bit out and add it to the beginning here.**

**And, there is some time spent with Hershel when Olivia gets back to Madison. They have a cow in labor when there is a complication….you may want to skip that part if things like that bother you. I don't go into that much detail. Thought it was very interesting to research.**

**Thank you for the new reviews, faves, and follows! I love seeing them!**

**TWO more days until the show. Oh, maaaannnn….. in honor of the premiere, I'm sending out boxes of Dark Chocolate and Cherry Cookies to ya'll so we can munch while we watch…..mmmm**

**Chapter 14-Madison, GA**

The next morning, Vanessa and Samantha padded their way down the hall, to Olivia's bedroom, which turned out to be empty, apart from the slumbering pup. Godiva raised her head up lazily, giving one sizable yawn, and proceeded to prance up to Vanessa, pressing a cold nose in greeting, into her outstretched hand. After a brief search of the master bathroom, the sisters headed towards the stairs to try their luck again; maybe their sister was in the kitchen.

The first floor was rather quiet, only the muted sounds of a light snore reached their ears. Vanessa peeked into the bedroom downstairs and her eyes nearly popped out of her head. Frantically, she waved Samantha over and pointed inside. Also curious to see that what was happening, Godiva followed her, the light jingle of her dog collar tinkled in the air as she advanced in the same direction the girls traveled.

Daryl was asleep on his side, right up against a sleeping Olivia, who had her back to his chest. Daryl was wrapped around her, with one arm around Olivia's waist and one of his legs in-between her legs. They were both clothed and on top of the sheet, so it was obvious nothing happened, but the girls knew Olivia was not like that anyway.

Vanessa scooped up the dog with both arms and placed her on their side of the door while Samantha promptly closed it slowly and quietly, with one hand, while her other hand was pressed against her own mouth, trying to suppress the giggle that was bubbling up. Once the door clicked shut, both girls ran upstairs and dropped right onto the nearest bed, giggling hysterically. The pup, who was also caught up in the excitement, raced after them, hot on their heels. The sisters were happy to see Olivia finally moving on, and moving on with someone they liked, even if the she didn't realize it herself. Both Vanessa and Samantha noticed how Daryl and Olivia behaved around each other; the lingering glances, eyes that sparkled. It was just a matter of the couple in question to realize it for themselves.

"Finally!" Vanessa shouted with glee. "Oh, my God! So that's why she seems so different than before; she's…happier. She didn't tell us how sexy Daryl was…."

Samantha agreed with a laugh. "Yeah, she's been sounding happier on the phone too. Even Anna and Praew noticed as well."

"Did you see how they looked at each other last night?"

Samantha grinned in amusement. "And what about the way he almost choked when she came down the stairs after you in that thing you called a skirt?"

"It IS a skirt," Vanessa retorted in mock indignation.

The girls decided to spend a few more minutes gossiping in the bedroom before coming down again.

* * *

Meanwhile, Daryl shifted in his sleep, slowly waking. He noticed he was more rested than he had ever been before; the demons that haunted him at night were not so overbearing and terrifying; he felt…..safe….warm. The darkness that usually tormented him was kept at bay and for once, he was cognizant of feeling somewhat liberated, unrestricted.

He felt his pillow move and that caused him to pop open his eyes in alarm. _Shit._ _How'd she end up_ _under ma arm?_ The previous night's events came swirling back into his mind. With increasing horror, Daryl noticed his hardness pressing into her ass. _Fuck! She gonna be pissed? Or disgusted? _ Women seeing his morning erections were something he never had to deal with because Daryl never spent the night with any of the women he fucked, not that there were that many to begin with. He wanted nothing to do with them afterwards, especially holding them or cuddling. It was just fucking; nothing more, nothing less.

Glancing down at the back of her head, Daryl felt warmth envelope him again, savoring the feeling, not wanting to leave, yet at the same time he was confused on why he felt that way.

One thing he was sure of was to get away from her before she woke up and found him hard as a rock.

Daryl tried to lift his arm away from Olivia's waist and to disentangle his leg from between hers, but he froze in place when he heard a moan while she shifted under his arm.

"Mmmmm," Olivia murmured as she turned around, snuggling into warmth, her eyes gradually opening. She smiled when her vision focused and she saw Daryl. Then as she realized the position she was in, a blush bloomed upon her cheeks. And then…she felt IT. _Is that his…penis? Oh, myyy. _Something large and firm was pressed up into her thigh. Olivia was familiar enough with anatomy to know what it was and that there was no mistake.

Her eyes flicked over to Daryl, who went completely still, looking as if he were going to die of mortification. Conflicted, Olivia wasn't sure if she should ignore it or address it lightly and move on to other topics.

"Good morning, Daryl." Olivia smiled at him shyly, thinking he looked rather cute with hair that was sticking up in several places.

"Mornin'," Daryl answered cautiously, unsure of her reaction.

"It's okay, Daryl. It's just me, that's all," she encouraged with a small smile. "Don't need to be embarrassed or anything."

Daryl returned a tiny smile when he realized with relief that his morning wood wasn't going to be a big deal.

He stared at her; not being able to help it. Olivia's hair was mussed from the night and her eye makeup was smeared, making her look like a sleepy raccoon, but she was absolutely beautiful. Daryl reminded himself to breathe. He looked down and noticed with a start that their bodies were still entwined; a blush forming once again.

Something had changed. They were curled up against each other, arms and legs tangled together, but neither of them wanted to leave. This was the most they have other touched one another at one time; prior to this there were little touches here and there, and a couple of hugs, nothing big.

No one said anything for few more minutes as blue eyes continued gazing into green ones, completely relaxed and content. Daryl felt those damn fluttering sensations in his belly again. This time, he really didn't mind them that much, as he stared at Olivia, feeling her warm breath on his chin.

Olivia regretfully decided to get started on breakfast.

"I'll go make some breakfast. Did you want to stay?" she invited while smiling at him. "Chocolate Chip and Banana Pancakes," she announced with a smirk, almost certain that he wouldn't be able to turn down chocolate.

Daryl thought it over, remembering Olivia's words last night. Shame and embarrassment no longer occupied his heart. He agreed to stay; her sisters weren't so bad. Neither were her pancakes.

* * *

After breakfast, Samantha offered to clean up the kitchen while Vanessa and Olivia got ready for the spa. Samantha eyed the gruff man coming in with a handful of dirty dishes, wondering how to start the conversation. She wanted to say something to encourage Daryl, but at the same time, she certainly didn't want him to bolt.

"You're a good man, Daryl. You protected Livy and kept her safe from that crazy jackass."

Daryl froze and turned around hesitantly.

"I know my sister. She's happy, happier than I've seen her in awhile. The way her eyes light up when she looks at you, talks to you. The spring in her step. How she likes to tease you." Samantha waited for him to process what she was saying. "The signs are all there. You just have to look."

She smiled at him, without saying anything else, and returned to her task of wiping off the counters. Samantha didn't want to ask him about his feelings, knowing that would cause him to run the other way. Daryl seemed like a very private person. Perhaps it was enough to plant the seeds and wait for something to grow.

* * *

**Baton Rouge, LA**

Olivia smiled to herself as she entered her hotel room. The Large Animal Health Seminar was over, only 4 hours in length, which meant she had the rest of the day to take in the sights and sounds of Baton Rouge, in addition to the extra day she tacked on. Olivia would miss classes on Monday, but she figured she was doing well anyway, and she might was well, while she was here.

The weekend was a flurry of activity, between her sisters' visit, their birthday weekend, and the flight last night for this morning's seminar. Early this morning, she received an email from her realtor. The potential buyer agreed to the last negotiated price and the paperwork for the sale would be processed this week, which was exciting, but part of her was sad that her house is sold; it was just so…final.

Olivia was exhausted, but she was eager to explore a new city. She wished Daryl was there too. He seemed to have a taste for new things too, judging by the way he embraced her cooking. Maybe that sense of adventure extended to traveling as well.

She slipped the seminar pamphlets and PowerPoint handout into her suitcase, so she wouldn't forget them and flopped onto the bed, bouncing a few times before the bed settled itself. Pulling out her phone, Olivia touched the screen button that would connect her to Daryl. She promised to call him after the seminar was over, before she headed out. He was sweet; always worried about her safety.

The phone rang three times before picking up. "Liv?"

"Hey, Daryl!" she smiled. "The seminar is over. It was pretty interesting. It's amazing what technology can do nowadays for our animal patients," Olivia mused.

"Did you go hunting?" she inquired. Daryl mentioned he may stay on farmhouse property and hunt.

"Yeah. Got maself a couple 'a rabbits. Ya want one? I can clean it fer ya," Daryl offered, though in the back of his mind, he knew Merle would shit a brick if he knew. _Can go fuck himself_, Daryl thought.

Olivia winced. Although she wasn't a vegetarian, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the animals. She knew that was how things were; the circle of life. Everything became food for something else. The chicken she pulled out of the plastic-wrapped Styrofoam tray was much different, in her eyes, than the chicken that was roaming around the henhouse, but essentially, it was the same. Even though it helped when food didn't look cute when it was packaged, she was aware of the animal's sacrifice, appreciative too.

Olivia smiled. "That would be nice, Daryl. When Granddaddy caught a few rabbits, Gran would make the best Hasenpheffer." An idea came to mind. "Hey, if you give me both, I can make the Hasenpheffer and we can split the stew."

"Deal," he agreed swiftly, wasting no time in making his decision. The thought of her cooking caused his mouth to water.

"Whatcha up ta now, girl?"

"Well, we had lunch at the seminar, so a few of us wanted to go sightsee. We're going to rest for an hour first, then meet up downstairs in the lobby. Ryan is a local so he volunteered to show us around."

"Who?" Daryl demanded as his face began to form a scowl. Part of him wanted to tell Olivia to stay away from him, but then he realized he had no right. They weren't together or anything….but he didn't like the idea of another man hanging around her.

"Ryan," Olivia replied, oblivious to the war that was battling for control in Daryl's mind. "He lives here in Baton Rouge. It'll be me, him, Jessica, and Tom."

Daryl relaxed a little, at least there were other people too. He still bristled at the idea though. "Jus' be careful, girl," he cautioned.

"Always," Olivia answered with a smile.

"Ya call me when ya get back ta yer room, ya hear?" Daryl insisted.

Olivia sighed. Sometimes Daryl was just too much, but part of her was comforted by his concern.

"Okay. I promise I'll call you when we get back. What if it's late?"

"Don' care. Ya jus' make sure ya do."

"Yes, sir," she teased.

"Liddol smartass."

* * *

The sights and sounds of Baton Rouge were absolutely amazing. Olivia strolled through the city with her seminar friends, dining in one of the city's most popular restaurants, The Chimes, a seafood and Cajun/Creole restaurant.

The group of four ended up sharing some appetizers and Olivia decided to be brave and try the fried Louisiana Alligator that Ryan ordered. Surprisingly, she found it wasn't bad, but just felt sorry for the gator.

Everyone ordered something different so that they each could take a taste. Olivia couldn't have been happier to have this opportunity.

"You wanna try some of this Shrimp Po'Boy? Jessica invited.

"Oh, yeah! Give me some of that, please," Olivia grinned, offering up some of the Crawfish étoufée that was in front of her.

* * *

**Madison, GA**

Daryl listened patiently on the phone, asking a question or two, but mostly grunting, while Olivia chattered excitedly about her day.

"The Enchanted Doll Museum was fabulous!" she gushed. "At the end of the tour, lemonade and cookies are served!"

"Unnngh, ya would visit a doll museum, wouldn't ya?" Daryl asked with a smirk.

"What? It's educational and historical. And entertaining," Olivia justified.

Daryl rolled his eyes.

"We also went to the LSU Rural Life Museum. So interesting to see how people lived back then. Tomorrow, it'll be just me. I'm planning on seeing the Baton Rouge Zoo and maybe the Magnolia Mound Plantation."

Daryl shook his head. Her excitement was getting to be contagious. "Try 'n save some stuff fer the next time, girl."

He was attentive as she went on to describe some more of the sights the little group visited and the Cajun restaurant they stopped at. He never had Cajun food before and was a little curious about her experience. _Damn, that girl sure loves her food_, he thought in amusement, the corner of his lip tugging upwards as she described the texture of the fried alligator and the spicy flavors of the dishes she tried.

"Daryl, I think you would love the food here. It's really different."

"Dunno. Maybe," he agreed.

"I'll make some of these things so you can try," she promised.

Again, Daryl felt that fluttering in his belly, thinking back to Samantha's words from earlier. _Do I make her happy? She think of me like that? _ He thought back to what he saw in Olivia's face as she looked up at him. Her eyes. They were wide when they regarded him, shiny, as if they twinkled. The smiles she always gave him, as if he was the only person in the room, even if he wasn't. His belly did a little flop again. And then, when they woke up in each other's arms, she looked damn happy to be there, not jumping up and running out of the room. Daryl was beginning to think there may be some truth in Samantha's words.

Daryl had a lot of time to consider what she meant to him. He was beginning to suspect that he wanted Olivia, and not just as a friend, but something more. When he was with her, he actually was happy. Away from her, he felt…off; he truly missed her company.

After a few more minutes, Daryl reluctantly hung up. Instantly, he felt that disconnect, the unrest. Lying in his bed, he drifted into a fitful sleep while attempting to process what all this was.

* * *

Although Baton Rouge was wonderful, Olivia couldn't help feeling happy to be back home. Her body still hadn't quite recovered fully from her travels, but she figured it'll probably be another day until she felt like herself again.

One day back and it was business as usual.

Olivia traveled with Mr. Greene in his truck, headed in the direction of the Edwards' Farm. The dirt road was far bumpier than it should have been, but it didn't bother her too much. This was something she'd have to get used to.

This was the second time she accompanied him on a farm visit. Every Thursday, Olivia was at his veterinary clinic, while Mr. Greene showed her the ropes. She was learning about the patients as well as the staff and how the clinic was run. Although she worked at a clinic in Santa Monica, there was an enormous difference between running one and working in one and Olivia absorbed as much knowledge as she could while Mr. Greene was with her. Gradually, she would be present at the clinic more frequently, but for now he thought it was best to introduce her slowly.

The young woman turned to him. "Mr. Gr-" stopping suddenly when he pivoted his head and gave her a look of amusement.

She laughed, then began again. "Hershel, I just wanted to thank you again for being so generous with the sale of the practice. It was too kind of you to decline interest. And for being so flexible in payment arrangements."

Hershel gave her a warm, almost grandfatherly smile. "It's no problem, dear. You are most welcome. I'm glad things have worked out for you," he spoke in a soft, Southern drawl. He had the most calm and genteel demeanor. He studied her thoughtfully. "Your grandmother was always so proud of you and what you have accomplished. You are a fine young woman."

Olivia blushed, looking down at her lap, and then glanced over at the driver. She enjoyed the time she spent with the kind, old veterinarian. Hershel had that unspoken authoritative air about him. He spoke softly, yet his words carried tremendous weight behind them. He was one of the most respected residents of Madison. Additionally, he had at least 30 years of experience in his field and Olivia understood the significance of that. She saw him as a mentor of sorts, someone she could learn much from. She truly appreciated the opportunities that Hershel offered her and for that she would always be grateful.

As they stepped out of the truck, the bright August sun was relentless, bearing down on them without mercy, as Mr. Greene brought out the white handkerchief from his shirt pocket to wipe off his weathered face, while his other hand held onto his medical bag.

Olivia's hair was pulled back into a bun, to help keep her long hair away from her hot and sticky body, but even she was not immune to the effects of the sun.

Bill Edwards ran out to greet them, nearly breathless from the effort. The balding, portly man slowed down as he got closer, taking a moment to catch a breath. "Hershel," he puffed out, nodding in greeting.

"This is Olivia, Bill."

Turning to Olivia, Hershel introduced, "Olivia, this is Bill Edwards."

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Edwards," she smiled as she shook his hand.

They began walking over to the barn.

"So yer the one gonna be takin' over for Hershel?"

"Yes, sir," Olivia answered solemnly.

"A shame that Hershel is leavin' us, but we sure are glad yer here. He says yer a fine vet'narian. The town is lucky ta have ya," Mr. Edwards praised.

A light blush began to form on her cheeks. "Thank you, Mr. Edwards."

"Please, call me Bill." He then pointed inside the barn.

One of the pregnant cows on his farm was having great difficulty progressing; labor seemed to have stalled.

"What would you suggest, Olivia?" Hershel inquired, allowing her to lead, rather than having her just assist him. He knew people learned more by doing, by hands-on experience.

"Does this animal have a history of uterine torsion?" Olivia asked, directing her question to the farmer.

"Yes, it happened once before." Olivia nodded after she received the information.

Olivia turned to Hershel, "I would skip examination of vaginal mucous membranes, since that does not always correlate with uterine torsion. I'd say a recto-genital palpation would be the best diagnostic tool."

Hershel remained silent, nodding in agreement with her assessment of the situation, impressed with her analysis.

With the nod from Hershel, Olivia proceeded to pull the rectal sleeve from the medical bag over her entire right arm and stepped over to the struggling animal who was panting quietly. Upon exploration, her hand ascertained the presence of uterine torsion. Further investigation of the uterus uncovered a torsion to the right, based on the position of the broad ligaments that were supporting the uterus. Once completed, Olivia gently removed her arm from her patient, yanking off the used rectal sleeve, and shared her findings with Hershel, who also donned a sleeve to do his own appraisal. He agreed with Olivia's conclusion, then waited for her to decide on a plan of action.

Since the animal did not have sufficient lubrication both in the uterus and birth canal to roll the fetus, Olivia chose to roll the animal instead. They helped it to lay down on its left side. The cow's legs were tied with rope, fore leg to fore leg and separately, hind leg to hind leg. Olivia worked at a furious pace, knowing that the fetus couldn't survive for long in such a compromised position. The cow was rolled suddenly once, then twice, before being examined again by Olivia. She shook her head sadly at the men before removing her sleeved arm once again.

After two more rolls in quick succession, Olivia checked the animal again, smiling wide when she no longer felt the broad ligaments that were misaligned. Hershel also inspected the animal, using a fresh sleeve, and smiled as well, much to the farmer's relief.

The two doctors stayed to help with the calving, since they were there anyway, and thoroughly screened the newborn calf, pleased to give it a clean bill of health.

One hour later, after washing up at the water pump, the Hershel and Olivia were back in his truck, headed back to the Greene Farm, where Olivia left her car.

"You did really well today, Olivia. Your training is just spectacular and you made the right call each time," Hershel praised, causing a light blush to appear once again on Olivia's cheeks.

She turned to Hershel, a smile forming on her face. "Thank you, Hershel. I really appreciate that you give me so much of your time and expertise."

"My pleasure, dear," Hershel said, with a nod.

Soon, the drive was over and they found themselves back at Hershel's home.

"Would you like to stay for supper, Olivia?" Hershel offered with a kind smile.

Olivia remembered that Daryl was at the house today. She was sorely tempted, being so tired and beat, but she politely declined, wanting to make sure that he had supper.

Maggie and Beth had stepped onto the porch to greet their father, and upon seeing Olivia, they smiled and waved in greeting. Olivia grinned and waved back; they were really nice girls. She had spoken with them many times before, and the three women had even met for lunch and shopping a couple of times. Maggie was quite the shopper, finding the bargains and snatching them up left and right. Olivia was impressed with her skill.

"I'll call you!" Maggie shouted. "We need to do another shopping day." Beth smiled and nodded her head eagerly.

* * *

Once she arrived home and parked, Olivia blew out a breath when she turned off the ignition. She really didn't feel like making anything, but she had responsibilities. She was so glad she bought a pair of work boots. She couldn't imagine wearing her flip flops today at the Edwards' Farm. Plodding her way to the front door, Olivia removed her boots and placed them to the side, before she opened the screen. Bringing out her key, she unlocked and opened the wood door in one swoop. A savory fragrance greeted her, much to her delight. Olivia took a deep sniff, pleasantly surprised, while closing the door behind her.

Making her way into the kitchen, she discovered Daryl behind the counter, stirring something in the crockpot.

"Hey, Daryl," she greeted with a smile, her eyes twinkling like stars. "What are you doing?"

"Makin' supper, what's it look like, girl?" he replied in amusement. Daryl couldn't get over the feeling in his chest as he noticed the big smile that lit up her face. This was a kind of high he supposed, without drugs. He felt damn good about himself, as if he could do anything, be anyone.

"But….I was supposed to make it for you," Olivia said, wide-eyed.

He shrugged. "Ya had a long day. I know calving ain't easy. Figured I'd give ya a head start."

Daryl eyed her reproachfully. "Ya goin' ta shower first? Ain't so fresh now."

The corner of his lip twitched when he noticed the scowl she gave him before she turned and went upstairs, muttering under her breath.

About 20 minutes later, Olivia sprinted back down the stairs and into the kitchen in a clean pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt, her hair freshly washed. She sat on the barstool and observed Daryl as he moved about the kitchen. _He made dinner for me_, she thought, as her belly fluttered. He never ceased to amaze her.

Daryl grabbed two bowls and proceeded to scoop out the Chicken and Mushrooms he had in the crockpot. Earlier in the day, he gathered the wild mushrooms from the woods behind the farmhouse, certain that they were safe to consume. He added salt, pepper, thyme, and olive oil and some water like Olivia did when she made this before. He hoped it turned out okay.

Olivia got up to pull some beverages from the refrigerator. "Is water good for you, or do you want something else?"

"Yeah, that's good."

Once everything was ready, they sat down, arms touching, on the barstools at the kitchen island to enjoy their food.

"How's it?" Daryl inquired when he watched Olivia take the first bite.

"Mmmm, good," she commended, giving him a thumbs-up. "You're getting really good, Daryl. Maybe you can take over the cooking for me."

"Nah. It's womens' work anyway," he quipped, a smirk plastered on his face.

"Oh, my God!" Olivia lightly slapped him twice on his shoulder.

Olivia giggled, while Daryl stared at her with a tiny smile upon his lips.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15-Madison, GA**

Maggie, Beth, and Olivia pored over their menus, trying to find something that caught their attention. Beth suggested Mexican this time, so the girls were having lunch at Pacho's, a popular spot for Madison residents.

"I'm so glad we were able to do lunch 'n shopping 'gain," Maggie exclaimed as she picked up a nacho smothered in cheese sauce and shoved it into her mouth.

Beth piped in, "We always have so much fun! Maybe it should be a monthly thing…"

Olivia laughed. "We'll see, but it is a fantastic idea."

The server came by to take their orders and collect the menus.

"Where should we go after lunch?" Maggie asked, looking back and forth between her sister and her friend.

"Well…what about heading over to the Madison Mall and Flea Market?" Olivia proposed as she snagged her own cheesy nacho to munch on. "Daryl's birthday is next month and I'm kind of stumped on what to get him."

Maggie exchanged a knowing look with Beth.

"What?" Olivia eyed both of them with suspicion.

Maggie's face split into a wide grin while Beth tried to hide her giggle behind her hand.

Maggie spoke with a smug expression as she leaned closer to Olivia. "I heard from the cashier at the Ingles Market who heard from the receptionist at the Pure Bliss Spa that Daryl took you to his boss's Fourth of July BBQ." A grin spread across her face once more as she sat back up. "I've never heard of him doing anything like that before."

Olivia's face grew warm and then flushed red. "I'm sure he's brought girls out before. He's a guy," she explained. "I'm no one special."

"And he also took you to the county fair," Beth added with a grin that outshone even Maggie's.

Olivia sat there blinking, flabbergasted, while the Greene sisters ganged up on her.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" Maggie demanded. "Give us the scoop. C'mon," she begged, "it's a small town. We're desperate for new gossip."

Olivia sighed in defeat. More and more they sounded like her own sisters.

She sighed again before speaking. "Yeah, Daryl took me to his BBQ and to the county fair. We ran into an old friend of his there. Brandie somebody or other." Olivia watched the expression on Maggie's face change to one of disgust.

"Ugh, I just don't know what people see in that girl. Oh yeah. Boobs."

"Why, what's wrong?"

"That girl just sleeps with any guy 'vailable. She even tried to make a play for Glenn but he refused her advances," Maggie explained while Beth nodded in agreement.

Olivia remembered Glenn, having met him once when she met Maggie and Beth at their house for their first lunch and shopping date. He was a really nice guy. She couldn't picture him being interested in a woman like that. Then all of sudden, her stomach dropped, like she swallowed a lead bowling ball. _Daryl slept with Brandie_. Her heart ached when she thought of them together. Maybe she was not his type. Maybe Nessie was wrong. He did things for her because he was nice, not because he had any romantic feelings. Maybe he was still seeing her.

"Are you okay?" Beth grew concerned when she noticed Olivia's eyes beginning to water.

Maggie apologized for upsetting her new friend. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad, Livy. I was just telling you what she's like," she said, reaching out her hand to place on Olivia's shoulder in sympathy. "Besides, I'm pretty sure Daryl isn't with her now. You're here now. He's a man. Back then, he wasn't with anyone and if she offered her wares, he most likely took her up on it."

"And from what I've heard, Daryl doesn't do one-night stands all that much anyway. It's his brother Merle who indulges frequently. Daryl mostly keeps to himself," Beth reassured.

Olivia was starting to feel much better, feeling quite silly to get this upset over someone who was not her boyfriend. Whatever Daryl chose to do and whoever he chose to be with was up to him, not her. She would just continue to live life to the fullest and enjoy everything she can.

Putting bleak thoughts away, she spent the rest of the day hunting for a birthday gift for a very special redneck.

* * *

**The Next Day**

Olivia sat at the piano and began to play one of the songs she knew from memory. Most of the time, she needed to read from sheet music, but she had some favorites she played so often that they became ingrained into her being.

She relaxed into the melody of "Liebestraum", letting her fingers move and stretch gracefully over the keys. Every time she played, she was amazed by the history of the piano. Olivia always wondered about the original owner. All she knew was that she never married, never had any children. The piano was passed to the woman's niece and then later, her own family. Olivia almost felt like she had a connection to the past, through music. She was in awe of having the opportunity to play on something that was nearly a hundred years old; fortunate to have had this experience.

As soon as that song ended, the notes of "Moonlight Sonata" echoed around the living room. Olivia closed her eyes, reveling in the sound and mood of the piece. She smiled to herself. This song was used a lot in vampire movies or shows; it did seem to evoke that kind of feel.

Hearing a noise behind her, she spun around quickly, in mid-stroke and saw Daryl leaning against the kitchen doorway.

"Ya play real good. Go 'head," Daryl indicated with a flap of his hand for her to continue as he headed towards the sofa.

Olivia smiled up at him, the brightness of it making Daryl's heart skip a beat, and picked up where she left off. Daryl admired the way her fingers gracefully stroked each key, the way she made it seem so effortless. He never knew anybody who could play musical instruments. He was well aware that the friends he and Merle kept were not in that caliber. Sitting on the sofa, Daryl leaned his head back and closed his eyes, allowing the music to soothe the restlessness in his heart; Olivia was good at that.

When she played the last few notes, she stood up to retrieve a music book that was stashed within the mahogany piano bench. Once Olivia found the page she was looking for, she sat down again.

"Does this one sound familiar?" she asked in a playful manner, smiling over at Daryl.

Olivia's eyes skimmed over the measures and her fingers began with the various staccato notes leading into the eighth and sixteenth notes, which built into a crescendo; deciding to stop there.

Daryl appeared pensive, as he attempted to pull old memories from his brain. The song sounded quite familiar but he couldn't quite place it yet….until…the corner of his mouth tilted up.

"Think it was from Bugs Bunny," he announced.

Olivia laughed. "You're right! It's 'La Donna ѐ Mobile'. I think I first heard it on a Bugs Bunny cartoon also and I thought it was the coolest thing. Who said cartoons aren't educational?"

After she played a few more songs, she got up and went to join Daryl on the sofa, sitting much closer to him than she had before; ever since that night they woke up in each other's arms. It was a comfortable amount of personal space. After supper, sometimes they talked, sometimes they just sat in companionable silence. He revealed more stories about his past, which he didn't do often, while she shared more stories about her Gran or her sisters.

Once, he spoke about the time he almost died, when he was at Merle's friend's house. The brothers were watching TV with a small group of guys who were somewhat high on drugs. Merle's inability to keep quiet caused a huge argument between him and his friend, and somehow Daryl was caught in the middle of it, by trying to defend his brother. A gun was pointed at Daryl and he saw his pathetic life flash before him in that instant. Merle saved him by punching his own brother in the gut, causing Daryl to vomit, which provided a distraction; the argument quickly forgotten when the roar of laughter spread throughout the room. Whoever would have thought so much nonsense would come from a silly comment about Scooby Doo.

Olivia had listened in rapt attention; she would never get tired of learning more about him. She found Daryl to be an interesting person, someone who had much to offer, but he certainly didn't see himself in that manner. She disagreed with Daryl's opinion of his life; it was not pathetic, just full of poor choices and circumstances. It also pained her to know he had such a rough life when he was younger, when he did not have any control over it. She hoped he had at least one friend he was able to lean on for support, but part of her suspected he didn't. Learning about Daryl's tragic childhood and early life just made her heartsick, wishing she could have been there for him, in some way.

A knock at the door interrupted her moment of reflection and Olivia stood up to answer it, while Daryl remained seated.

"What are you doing here?" Olivia uttered in disbelief, narrowing her eyes at the man standing on the other side of the screen door. The very sight of him brought back painful memories she did not want to revisit.

Daryl heard the agitation in Olivia's voice and had started for the front door. She wasn't happy, whoever it was. Hovering in the background, he was able to make out what was going on. He stood close by in case the man at the door caused trouble. Daryl folded his arms and leaned up against the dining room table and surveyed the scene with narrowed eyes.

"I heard you moved to your grandmother's house. I wanted to apologize," Evan said in earnest, while handing her a bouquet of roses. Olivia ignored his gesture, not reaching out at all for the flowers.

"Why? What happened? Did she break up with you?" Olivia spat out in quiet anger.

"She wasn't the one I really wanted."

Olivia huffed in annoyance. She couldn't believe the nerve of this man. It had been a year since she last saw him.

"I made a mistake. I shouldn't have-"

"Yeah. You shouldn't have. It's over. There is no coming back," Olivia stated firmly. "I don't want to see you ever again."

Daryl's eyes roamed over the clean-cut dark blond hair, styled with just the right amount of mousse, to make the perfect side part. The man had brown eyes and a shaven face, with some light stubble that was forming. A dark blue Polo shirt was matched with khaki Dockers shorts and dark brown leather boat shoes. No socks. Daryl glowered at him. _Fuckin' yuppie._

"But…." Evan's eyes flashed to Daryl in the background, burning with anger. "Who the Hell is he?" Evan demanded, while looking down his nose at Daryl, then turning his head back to Olivia. "Is that why you don't want to forgive me?"

"He's my friend, Evan. He's not any of your business," Olivia retorted. "In fact, anything I do is not your business."

"Oh… shit…..are you fucking that dirty redneck? You made me wait for months for you and here you are-"

"Good-bye, Evan," Olivia gritted her teeth. With those last words, she slowly began to shut the door. She had more than enough of his juvenile antics.

Turning around, Olivia saw that Daryl was still leaning against the wall and gave him a tiny smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. He noted how sad her eyes looked, moist with unshed tears. He wanted to see her smile again. Then suddenly, her strength left her and her face crumpled in grief. Olivia began to sob quietly in her hands. Awkwardly, Daryl went to her, wanting to provide comfort, and stood in front of her, having no clue on how to proceed. He knew she was distraught. Daryl thought back to her words and actions when he nearly lost himself in grief and guilt. He hesitantly wrapped one arm around her, rubbing small circles on her back, while his other hand cupped her elbow.

"Shhhhh, it's okay, Liv," Daryl murmured. He stiffened, then relaxed, when he felt her press closer into his chest, finding comfort in his warmth, and her arms slowly folded around his midsection. He removed his hand from her elbow and brought it around her back, drawing her closer to his body.

He allowed her to remain against him while he offered her the same comfort that she provided him not too long ago. Her tears dampened the front of his shirt, soaking through the fabric. When the sobbing began to subside, he spoke, breaking the silence.

"Who was that yuppie dick?" Daryl asked in his raspy voice.

"Ex-boyfriend," Olivia answered in a small, muffled voice. When they broke up, it hurt her so much. She supposed things like that take a little longer to get over; the betrayal itself more so than actually losing Evan.

Daryl wanted to ask her some more about what happened, but he was hesitant to pry. He thought it would be best just to let her think it through.

"C'mon. Let's sit a spell," he suggested, taking her small hand in his and leading her to the sofa before he turned towards the kitchen.

Olivia sat, wiping her face with some tissue from a box that was on the end table. She heard the beep of the microwave. Daryl came back out of the kitchen a few minutes later with two cups of hot tea and some cookies on a wooden tray, placing it on the coffee table. Daryl placed one of the cups in front of her, leaving it on the coaster for her. Olivia smiled up at him in thanks as she took the cup he offered.

They sat in silence, at ease with each other, sipping tea and nibbling on cookies, until Olivia started first, her voice slightly shaky.

"I met Evan back in college, during pre-med classes. He seemed very nice and he was a lot of fun. Very outgoing. We were part of our own clique; six of us together. Me, Evan, Julia, Mike, Jeff, and Cassie. Evan went on to med school first, then the rest of us followed a year or so later. We all kept in touch, even though we were spread out all over the country. After graduation and completion of their residencies, Evan, Cassie, and Mike ended up in California and we became closer again. Last year, Evan moved to Venice Beach and eventually a romantic relationship grew."

Olivia continued after taking a sip of hot tea, while Daryl stayed quiet, allowing her to talk at her own pace. "I…I really didn't have a lot of…um…dating experience." Her cheeks began to color. "Back in high school, I was really more into my studies and grades than dating. College was the same way. Medical school burned up my time. I had no energy left for dating."

"I…I.." Olivia couldn't continue. Looking down at her lap, she took a breath. She trusted Daryl, but she was also extremely embarrassed. Daryl's calloused fingers reached out and tenderly cupped her chin, bringing her head back up so that she was gazing intently into his soulful blue eyes.

"Ain't gotta be embarrassed or shit. Jus' me, girl."

Giving him a tiny smile, she proceeded to tell her story. "I…I've never… uh…I'm a….I hadn't…ever had sex before." She blushed furiously, staring at the cup of tea she held in her hands. "Evan knew that and he respected my decision to not jump in right away. Or so he said he did." Olivia stopped to wipe a tear that trickled down her cheek, but Daryl got to it first; gently using his thumb to brush it away. "After a few weeks of seeing each other, he started to push more and more each day for sex. For some reason, it didn't feel right to me, so I never gave in. Not even a little bit. I wanted to give it more time, to feel comfortable." Olivia's eyes had that faraway gaze as she recalled those past events that still caused her pain. "I thought it was because I just wasn't ready yet, but in retrospect, I think deep down, somehow I knew he wasn't the right one."

Daryl was floored, though the neutral expression on his face never gave that away. This was the last thing he expected. Olivia was a virgin. He didn't think he had ever met one. He didn't think he ever would. Hell, he expected his chances of meeting a chupacabra would have been higher. Daryl was surprised, figuring that men would be falling all over themselves to get to her, not expecting her lack of experience; with dating and with sex. He admired her resolve; she didn't let that asshole push her around. His heart swelled with pride. Daryl never pressured any woman into sex, but he grew up with low-life fuckups who did, so he knew it was extremely difficult for a woman to deflect the unwanted attention.

After putting her teacup down on the coffee table, Olivia cried into her hands, the sound of her quiet sobs tore at his heart. "One day, I came back home early from work. Evan had spare keys to my house so it wasn't unusual to find him there without me. But on that day, I walked into MY bedroom to find him and my friend Cassie in my own bed, having sex. And when I confronted him about it, he blamed me for having to turn to her to satisfy his needs because I couldn't. He told me that nobody would want someone my age without experience, that something was wrong with me. Frigid. A horrible lay," she whispered the last part as more tears escaped. Olivia kept her head down, her heart heavy with shame.

After her awful discovery of the betrayal, she slept on the sofa each night, not being able to bear crawling into the same bed that Evan and Cassie used to break her heart. Olivia ended up donating the bed and the linens, although she really wanted to burn them instead, and bought a new bed, the one she brought with her to Madison. Olivia didn't even really know if that was the first time when she caught them; their dalliance could have begun much earlier. She didn't want to know.

Daryl was quiet for a moment while he processed what he just heard. "That's bullshit," he insisted, his eyes narrowing into a scowl.

Olivia's puffy, red eyes darted right over to his.

"It ain't on ya. What that sorry prick said ta ya ain't true. Yer full 'a passion 'n love. I see it when yer talkin' ta me, when yer cookin', when ya talk ta yer family 'n friends, the way ya take care of people's animals. It's in ev'rythin' ya do. Sex 'n knowin' how ta do it takes time 'n practice. When ya find someone that's right, he's gonna wait fer ya 'n the two of ya can learn t'gether."

"What if he's right? What if there's something wrong with me?" Olivia asked timidly in a small voice.

This was her fear. That Evan was right and no one wanted her. She didn't think she could bear the pain again, of being dropped like unwanted trash, of having her heart break into a thousand pieces. That feeling of being swallowed up into the darkness. It hurt even more when she found Evan in bed with her friend, instead of a stranger. Cassie apologized to her but Olivia did not accept any of that. Some things just couldn't be forgiven; she just couldn't. How can she trust anyone with her heart again?

She thought back to a man she dated twice. Putting all her cards on the table on the second date, she let him know that she was a virgin, and that she wouldn't feel comfortable engaging in sex too soon. Olivia never heard from him again, not that she was waiting by her phone for him. Evan came into her life later, but eventually he left too, in the worst possible way. Olivia supposed it was easier when she never heard back from men in the first place; there was no emotional investment yet.

"Ain't nothin' wrong with ya, girl. If by chance ya need someone ta be patient, then the right one's gonna be patient. Ya work things out, liddol by liddol, with a man that would work with ya," Daryl answered. "Yer worth waitin' fer, Liv." _Maybe Imma be that man,_ he thought as he swept his eyes over her, desperate to bring a smile back on her beautiful face.

Olivia looked deeply into those amazing blue eyes, seeing the sincerity in them and smiled.

Daryl huffed in anger. "Liddol bastard got caught cheatin' 'n he made up some shitty excuse ta get outta it." Daryl spoke with authority. "He's an asshole."

The corner of Olivia's lip quirked upwards. "Yeah," she agreed, "he is an asshole."

Daryl offered up his own tiny smile. "Atta girl." _That's ma girl._

Olivia leaned into him, pressing her face into his shoulder while her arms wrapped around him, trying to seek comfort. She breathed deeply, noticing his scent. Earthy. Woodsy. Male. It was pleasant to her senses and she relaxed into him, feeling content. Olivia closed her eyes, remembering this scent when she woke up in Daryl's arms about a week ago. A smile flitted across her lips.

That night, Olivia settled herself in her soft bed, thinking over what had transpired that day. Her heart certainly felt much lighter than it did before. For months, she had let that stupid man get into her head. She was brought up to respect herself and others, to believe in her own abilities, and to stand on her own two feet. In the span of a mere twenty minutes, Evan managed to decimate the self-confidence that her parents and grandparents instilled in her. But no more. She was in control now; she's not going to get upset anymore. Olivia drifted off to sleep, snuggled into her blanket, with a smile upon her lips, tranquility in her heart, and vague dreams about the woods and a pair of intense blue eyes.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Hampton Inn in Madison, one angry man laid in bed, fuming over his rejection. What pissed Evan Sims off the most was the fact that the redneck appeared to be so comfortable in Olivia's house, like he owned the place; like he belonged there. He was completely baffled.

When they were in school, he noticed she didn't really date much, though he couldn't understand it; she was beautiful. Evan had a few girlfriends during pre-med days, which certainly didn't prevent him from seeking out other "friends" on the side; she was just never one of them. Fate brought him back to California and he took notice of her.

Evan never had a problem getting girls, even from an early age. He knew he was good-looking and he had money. Girls came to HIM, willingly dropping their panties after he gave them a smile or bought dinner. But not Olivia. When he found out that she was a virgin, he assumed he would have just needed to try harder to get into her pants, since she didn't give it up already, like many of the women he fucked. But the girl held to her principles, claiming she wasn't ready yet. _Bullshit!_ He'd been with her for 2 or 3 months, spending time with her, buying her gifts. She declined the Mikimoto pearl bracelet he bought for her and the Coach purse. Every woman wanted expensive things. Olivia confused the shit out of him. She owed him.

The girl Olivia caught him with was a great lay. But she talked way too much and he became bored with her after a month. He wasn't really interested in Cassie, but it was easy to get her into bed.

The indignant man fumed over the presence of the white trash in her house. _Goddamn greasy-looking redneck trash….needs a fucking haircut. _ Olivia said he was her friend. _Friend my ass….looked like a drug dealer or something. _Evan couldn't believe she would associate with such unsavory, low-class people.

Evan Sims came from a somewhat wealthy family. He graduated from Harvard Medical School. He never lost to anybody. He definitely was not going to lose to some backwoods trailer trash.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

"**Liebestraum" is one of my favorite songs to play; it's beautiful. Unlike my OC, I'm not that good, only been playing piano for a year and half….(still in a beginner book, hehehehe)**

**Poor Livy…..she didn't deserve the way Evan treated her.**

**Smut is coming shortly, so please beware. Livy needed to heal a bit more first.**

**Thank you for those favorites, follows, and reviews! You guys are incredible!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16-Madison, GA**

The gardenia trees really flourished this summer, producing the largest quantity of blooms Olivia had ever seen. She was on her knees, weeding and clipping flowers for the house. It almost seemed like new flowers sprang up immediately to replace the ones she just cut. _Gran would have loved to see it_, Olivia thought wistfully, as her mind brought up images of her grandmother lovingly tending to her flowers. Gardenias were her grandmother's favorite and hers as well. She stopped every now and then to close her eyes and inhale deeply, savoring the sweet fragrance that surrounded her.

She hummed an old tune softly under her breath while she worked, setting the flowers in a shallow wicker basket placed by her side.

While working, her mind drifted. Olivia was relieved that finals were over and she had two weeks of freedom from school before the fall semester started up again. She still had her time at the clinic, now at 2 days a week, so she wasn't completely free, but at least there were no exams, thank goodness.

The sale of the house in Santa Monica would be closing at the end of the month. Both of her sisters refused to take any money from the sale even though they did not receive anything from Olivia when she moved into the farmhouse. She smiled to herself; family always came first before money.

Heavy footsteps in the grass alerted her to Daryl's presence, causing her to turn around, wiping her brow with the back of her hand. When he wanted to be stealthy, you would never hear him until he was right behind you.

"Here. Ya need ta stay hydrated, girl. Good Lord, can't have ya faintin' on me," Daryl chastised as he handed her a cold glass of water.

"Thank you, Daryl." She gulped greedily at the cold water as it soothed her parched throat, instantly making her feel refreshed. Olivia stared at him. She just noticed the sunrays were hitting Daryl square in the face. "You really should wear sunglasses. Your eyes need to be protected, especially since you spend so much time outside."

"Don't have 'em," he answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

Olivia just nodded in reply, deep in thought.

Chewing on his thumbnail, he gave her a side glance before speaking.

"Ya wantin' ta come huntin' with me t'morrow?" Daryl invited. "Hopin' ta get a deer." Daryl blushed slightly when it occurred to him that he was inviting Olivia to hunt on property that SHE owned.

"Okay," she agreed, always enjoying his company. The two of them had gone together once before with Godiva. Daryl was training the pup to flush out game and to retrieve as well. He worked patiently with Godiva, offering praise and treats to reward her each time she accomplished the task that was set. The way they interacted always brought a big smile to Olivia's face. The dog just adored him. Something Olivia understood very well.

"I'm going to finish up here and get supper going. Probably ready in about an hour," Olivia said. "Here, I'll take the glasses with me." She reached for the empty glass Daryl had in his hand.

Daryl blew out a breath. "Hottest damn day this summer," he muttered.

"Huh…..Daryl, I have an idea," she proposed, before she released a giggle.

Daryl turned to her, with one eyebrow raised, curious to see what she had on her mind.

"Since it's so hot, why don't we cool off by swimming in the lake?" She looked up at him eagerly. "After supper."

"Ain't got nothin' but the clothes I got on," he grumbled in reply, though he was sorely tempted to just jump right in, clothes and all, since he was so uncomfortably sticky; a few wispy strands of hair plastered to his skin.

"That's okay. You can go in your boxers, can't you? What's the difference between swim trunks and boxers anyway? And you can air dry before you go," Olivia argued convincingly as she focused her wide, green eyes on him.

Daryl sighed. It seemed there was nothing he wouldn't do for that girl. Managing to talk him into anything just by looking at him. He just couldn't say no.

And she WOULD remember he wore boxers, as the back of his neck started to heat up, and not from the sun.

He was running late to the farm one morning, and he had to bring his laundry, having noticed he was wearing the last of his clean clothing. Olivia offered to do his laundry for him, so it could be ready at the end of the day. At first, he refused, but then acquiesced when she turned those eyes on him. At the end of the day, Daryl was pleasantly surprised to find that Olivia also mended the tears in his shirts and patched the holes in his pants. And instead of receiving his clothes back in the same large, black plastic garbage bag he had with him, she gave him an extra laundry basket, insisting that it was just sitting around unused. She set her wide, green eyes on him until he agreed to take the basket with him too.

A flush of warmth permeated his heart once more as he thought about how that girl watched out for him. _Yeah….the signs are there_, he mused.

"Fine," he muttered, though he was rather favorable to the idea of cooling off after supper.

"Good!" she beamed. With that, Olivia turned on her heel to get supper going, taking the empty glasses and the basket of flowers with her. She figured the faster they can finish supper, the faster they can get to the lake.

After about a half hour, Daryl wandered into the house, making a beeline for the kitchen sink to wash up. She told him about an hour, so he knew it was still early yet. But he always liked watching her work in the kitchen. It made him feel good to see her cooking for him. And that girl loved to cook. Her eyes shone and sparkled as she moved around the kitchen.

Thirty minutes later, she set their plates down in front of the barstools before she grabbed some iced tea from the refrigerator. "Is iced tea okay?" she called out.

"Yeah," Daryl nodded in appreciation. He always did like the tea she and her Gran made. Even that was from scratch and not from a mix.

Olivia sat down next to him, with her leg touching his. It seemed to burn right into Daryl, through his pants. The side of Daryl's forearm was against her elbow. Daryl wanted as much physical contact as possible.

They enjoyed their dinner in a companionable silence, smiling at each every now and then. Daryl stole glances at her, admiring her jawline. He wondered how it would feel to nibble along it.

* * *

"Here," Olivia handed a large, thick towel to Daryl who took it with a nod.

Godiva stared up at them with a look of longing, begging them to bring her along.

"Sorry, Godey girl," Olivia apologized as she bent down to pet her dog. "No more sun now. It's going to take you longer to dry and I really don't want to smell wet dog fur all night," she crinkled her nose. "Next time, I promise."

Daryl also pet Godiva as well, though the pup just seemed to huff out a breath in frustration, realizing she wasn't invited.

Olivia locked up the house and they made the short trek barefoot, to the lake. The sun had just set about an hour ago. The night was quiet and peaceful, with a warm and gentle breeze that caressed their skin. The croaking of bullfrogs combined with the chirping of the cicadas only added to the tranquil ambiance.

Daryl peeked under his shaggy bangs to take in the joyous expression on her face. He flushed when she turned her head to him, catching him staring at her, giving him a tiny smile.

Once they arrived at the lake, they dropped their towels onto the ground and Olivia began to remove the large T-shirt she had on. Daryl swiveled his head around quickly to avoid staring at her and he began to unbuckle his pants. He opted to take off his sleeveless shirt but left his wifebeater on.

Olivia noticed he left his undershirt on. She stepped over to him and softly placed her hand on his forearm. "It's okay, Daryl. It's just me," she reassured.

Daryl gazed into those emerald eyes, finding sincerity and acceptance. He knew he trusted Olivia, but sometimes old habits and feelings were hard to break. With a soft breath, he pulled his wifebeater by the hem and lifted it straight up, off his body, then tossed it on the ground, on top of his pants and sleeveless shirt.

Olivia couldn't help but stare. He was perfect. Before, when she was examining Daryl for any injuries she was focused on the business at hand. Now, she gave herself permission to look. To really look. Her eyes took in his collarbones, noting how the tan from his face and arms faded into the paler skin of his chest and abdomen. Her gaze roamed over the tattoo on his chest and then down to the strip of hair on his lower belly that led into his boxers. She swallowed, feeling that same fluttering sensation in her belly. Swallowing once more, she reached out with her fingers and traced the tattoo on his chest, curious about the meaning of this name.

"Ma grandfather," he explained as he his eyes fluttered shut from the sweetness of her touch. He didn't elaborate and Olivia did not press him further. She figured he would talk about his family when he was ready.

Slowly, her fingers skimmed along his ribs and down the left side of his torso, noticing an almost imperceptible twitch when she did so. Olivia's eyes shot up to Daryl's face, studying him while she ran her fingers down the same path. _There_…. Olivia saw the way the corner of his mouth jerked and Daryl's brows furrowed in concentration. He was fighting something…_he's ticklish_. _So….the big, rugged man was ticklish_! Olivia's mouth curled in a devious grin as an idea formed in her mind, working furiously to restrain the giggle that threatened to burst right out of her.

Olivia took a few steps farther away from him, and then she reached out and poked him in that same spot, several times in rapid succession, before she giggled hysterically and sprinted away towards the water.

Daryl had no idea what happened; his side contracting automatically to protect him from the uncomfortable sensation. His eyes flew open, then narrowed as he observed her retreating form and heard her ensuing laughter. He switched into "hunter mode" and began to stalk his prey, slipping into the water without a sound and swimming towards her at an angle so he wouldn't be spotted, taking his time.

The girl made so much noise it wasn't a difficult task for Daryl to keep track of her location. Before long, he was just about there when he popped out of the water about a foot in front of her.

Olivia's eyes grew larger while she shrieked, using her arms to push a wave of water at Daryl as a distraction before she fled further out into the lake. Her feminine limbs forced only a scant amount of water to him, allowing Daryl to quickly begin his pursuit.

Daryl caught up to her in no time. "Ain't gonna win," he taunted as he held out his muscular arms just above the water line and scooped them towards Olivia, pushing the water forward. She was no match for the strength in his brawny limbs as a wall of water came rushing at her, completely engulfing her like a tidal wave, leaving her to sputter in annoyance.

A pair of powerful arms reached out and grabbed Olivia by the waist while she laughed and struggled to break the grip.

"Ya like stirrin' up shit, don'cha?" Daryl smirked. His voice lowered. "Well, how's 'bout ya get some 'a that?" he growled into her ear.

All ten of his thick, calloused fingers vigorously rubbed over the bare skin on her waist and ribs, causing Olivia to laugh and shake helplessly while she was at his complete mercy.

"Ya give up, girl?"

Olivia was near breathless. "No!" she gasped.

Daryl continued his repetitive motions. _Girl's as stubborn as a mule._

"How's 'bout now?"

Olivia panted in-between peals of laughter. Part of her still did not want to concede to Daryl, but the other part of her was getting so tired and her ribs were starting to hurt from laughing so much.

"Okay!" she puffed out. "You win. I give up."

Finally, Daryl released her from his vice-like grip, a smug expression on his face.

Olivia looked up at Daryl, the moonlight casting a lustrous glow over him. Her breath hitched when she suddenly realized she was standing in such close proximity to him. Her wide gaze wandered from his cerulean blue eyes, following the curve of his cheekbone, and towards the mole that rested by the corner of his lip, just noticing now that there was a second, smaller mole by his nose. She knew she would never tire of staring at him. He was so sexy. A faint blush tinged her cheeks. Her eyes lingered on his lips, a desire to taste them flared within her; wanting to feel the scruff of his chin against her tender skin.

The smug expression from Daryl's face faded slowly as he observed Olivia, fully aware of her smoldering regard. Water from her eyelashes dripped down her cheek while she studied him. When her eyes dipped lower, it was obvious to him that she was momentarily infatuated with his lips.

His heart pounded loudly in his chest, violently thumping against his ribcage, threatening to leap right out of his throat. Daryl licked his lips, watching Olivia bite her lower lip, which caused his belly to clench. He stepped even closer to Olivia, so that their bodies were touching once more. He felt her warm breath on his neck as she breathed heavily, her breasts pressed against his bare chest, feeling the heat from her skin, right through the bikini top. Daryl wrapped one arm around her, then the other, gauging her face for any kind of protest, his own breath picking up speed.

_Beautiful_. _Mesmerizing. Gorgeous._ Daryl thought there were no words in existence that could describe her; no words could do her justice. Her eyes were large, a look of wonder in them as she stared up at him. The moonlight reflected off of her dark, shimmering hair, making the strands appear to be made of the softest obsidian silk.

Their eyes connected once more. He couldn't pull away from the force of her attention. Daryl gazed into those emeralds and saw himself reflected back; the way she saw him. The way she believed in him. His heart flushed with warmth as he held his stare, then he let his eyes wander down her cheek, to the curve of her lips, studying how full and pink they were. And wet. He swallowed thickly, wanting more than anything, to taste the sweetness of those lips.

He was concentrating so much on her mouth that he vaguely felt the pressure of Olivia's arms as she brought them up to loop around his neck. He leaned down slightly, pleased to see that she responded by lifting her face up towards him. Ever so slowly, inch by inch, Daryl continued towards her lips, closing his eyes once he felt the softness of her mouth, gently brushing his lips over hers.

Daryl believed he had died and gone to Heaven, having never felt so lighthearted and happy before in his life. Any euphoric feeling like that must surely mean paradise. His mind contemplated the possibility of his death while his lips continued to explore hers.

Olivia's breath hitched as she returned his kiss with the gentlest of touches. Gasping, she returned Daryl's kiss with increasing fervor, sliding her hands up and down his solid back, rejoicing in the sensation, then she brought one hand to his chest, where Olivia began to explore, eliciting a soft moan from him.

One of Daryl's hands left her back to glide over her waist and rest on her hip, gently squeezing the flesh there. Olivia noticed a flood of warmth in her lower belly as her breathing increased in speed. And then…she felt light movement against her stomach, realizing in the back of her mind that it was Daryl; she was feeling his growing hardness.

Olivia parted her lips, reaching out with the tip of her tongue to tease and dab at Daryl's lower lip, as if asking for permission to continue. Feeling a rush of heat in his lower belly, he opened his mouth slightly, just before her pink tip gingerly darted in to explore the inside of his mouth, running along the inside of his lower lip and then the upper lip. Slowly, he brought his tongue out, meeting hers halfway. Olivia tickled and softly nudged his tongue, using the tip of hers to stroke his before wrapping her full, pink lips around the tip of his tongue. She began to lightly suck on it, while brushing her fingers through his hair. A bolt of electricity shot straight down into his cock and Daryl swore he felt his toes curl.

They broke apart, panting, staring at each other, needing to come up for air.

Daryl was certain, without a doubt, that he needed her. Part of him was dumbfounded, wondering why a girl like would be so interested in a dumbass like him. He was unable to tear his eyes away from her.

Olivia smiled up at him, making his heart thump uncontrollably. A ghost of a smile flitted across his face.

* * *

During the walk back to the house, Olivia reached out for his hand, giving Daryl a shy smile when he took it into his firm grip. They breathed in the fresh night air, finding beauty all around them as the moon cast its glow over the trees and illuminated the ground. The leisurely walk enabled them to calm themselves down after getting so worked up at the lake. Daryl noted that his erection had softened, much to his relief, and his breathing returned to a normal pace. He didn't want to spend the next hour or so with a distracting hard-on.

His boxers weren't quite dry yet, so he changed out of them and into his pants, going commando. He placed the damp undergarment on the chair that was out on the porch while Olivia ran upstairs to change out of her wet swimsuit.

While he was absently petting and scratching Godiva, he was wondering what the fuck he should say. Goddammit, he wanted more. He wanted Olivia. What did she see in him? Daryl was reasonably sure that she felt the same way about him. After all, she wouldn't kiss anyone like that unless there were feelings involved. He was pretty sure of that. Olivia wasn't like any of the girls he met.

Kissing, being such an intimate act, was never something Daryl did a lot of. Fucking was just fucking. There was nothing to that but just sexual release. He rarely kissed the girls he fucked, preferring instead to nibble on their necks and tits before he pushed his way in. He wasn't selfish, he wanted the girls to be ready to receive him; he didn't want to cause them pain. But Daryl wasn't stupid. He knew what those girls were like and he didn't know whose dicks those mouths have been on. Having spent enough time with Merle and his brother's issues with the clap, Daryl was rather cautious. At least with fucking, condoms could be used as protection from disease.

Olivia sprinted down the stairs and joined Daryl on the sofa. She changed into a clean pair of sleep shorts and a matching T-shirt. They smiled shyly at each other before Daryl reached out to take her hand in his, intertwining his thick, calloused fingers with her slender ones.

Daryl couldn't put it off any longer. He just had to know.

"Ah-livya, what did ya mean by that kiss?" He peeked out at her through his shaggy dark bangs while he chewed the thumbnail of his free hand.

Olivia glanced down at their joined hands, suddenly feeling bashful. Licking her lips, she spoke.

"I don't know. I wanted to kiss you. I think you wanted to kiss me too…." She looked over at him quickly, relieved that he nodded in agreement.

A disturbing thought popped into his head. His stomach twisted into an angry knot at the thought of her kissing anyone else.

"Imma gonna be the only one ya kiss?" Daryl asked, looking down at his feet as if he'd never seen them before.

Olivia beamed at him, her wide smile shining like a beacon. "Don't want anyone else, Daryl. Her smile faded as she asked in a serious tone, "Am I the only one for you?"

Daryl blushed and nodded once, looking straight into her eyes. He remembered how inexperienced she was and the pain that little fucker put her through.

"We….we ain't gotta rush inta anythin' ya know," he reassured her. "Take it nice 'n slow. When yer ready for more than kissin'…" A blush crept across his cheeks as he spoke.

Olivia stared at him, her eyes bright and shiny with emotion. Daryl was just so sweet. She was lucky to have found him.

"I know, Daryl. I trust you."

"Ya gonna let me know if somethin's too much, right?"

"Yeah," she answered as she scooted closer to him. "I will."

Daryl felt her lips upon his once more as he reached for her, bringing her even closer to him.

On the mantel in the living room, the clock ticked continuously but nobody paid it any attention.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I had so much fun with chapter. Every time I worked on it, it brought a smile to my face, especially the part at the lake. I just pictured those two being so playful. **

**I hope it came across as something Daryl would realistically say or do. He has come a long way from when the story first started, but he is still Daryl….**

**There will be smut coming up, so be careful if it's not for you. I'll give a warning at the top of the chapter that contains it. The smut I'm planning on is not too over-the-top and always consensual. **

**Thank you for the new favorites, follows, and reviews. Love it! Let's me know you guys like what I'm doing here.**

**Posting this chappie earlier than usual. Will be away this weekend for a con in Orlando so I wanted to get this up for you. Enjoy!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note:**

**Okay, guys. Watch out. Some smut here. **

**Chapter 17-Madison, GA**

Olivia snuggled deeper into the soothing warmth that was under her. Her eyes fluttered open slowly to reveal a bare chest. She smiled as she reached out to caress the soft skin, running her fingers through the sparse patch of hair. Daryl's chin was just resting on top of her head.

"Mornin', Liv," Daryl rumbled from above her, giving her a tiny smile.

Tilting her head up, she gave him a bright smile. "Morning, Daryl. You're my own personal furnace," she teased as she held onto him tighter. She reached to give him a soft kiss on his lips.

Daryl grunted once as he dragged his hand along the swell of her hip and her thigh, marveling at the smoothness of Olivia's skin. _Like fuckin' silk. _ He wondered how it would feel like without her sleep shorts getting in the way. Just running his hand on a long expanse of skin. Uninterrupted.

After their swim in the lake, he ended up staying over since it was so late. They kissed and made out for much of the night. Daryl would have never believed he'd get so turned on just from kissing. _Because it's with her, _he realized suddenly, while a light blush colored his cheeks.

Olivia moaned as she stretched against him, having no idea of the effect it had on Daryl.

"You'll be back after you get changed?" she inquired lazily.

"Yeah. Gotta pick up ma crossbow too. 'N then we'll go hunt."

"How about something quick for breakfast before you head out?" Olivia suggested.

Daryl nodded in agreement. Throwing one arm over his eyes, he stayed in bed a few more minutes while she went downstairs to fix up something to eat. Godiva decided follow his example and plopped herself back onto her own bed.

Thoughts about the last 24 hours bounced around in Daryl's head. A tiny smile pulled at his mouth as he remembered the way Olivia clung to him, her mouth eagerly pressing against his. How she ran her fingers through his hair and cupped his cheek. How their tongues met and danced around each other. How a breathy moan or two would escape the confines of her mouth. The way she responded when he explored her with his lips.

Daryl noticed the same fluttering sensations in his belly, realizing now that they appeared because of her. As he lowered his gaze on his body, he spotted the tent in his pants..

The morning wood Daryl was sporting wasn't going anywhere. In fact, it was growing larger and progressively harder as his reflection turned to her body and what he imagined she would look like naked. He didn't want to scare her off, yet he knew he had to do something. Daryl needed to take care of the massive boner.

Daryl crept away from the bed and dashed into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door in case Olivia came up to check on him. Lifting the seat from the toilet, he unzipped his pants, his hardened member sprang free. Shutting his eyes, he leaned one arm against the wall behind the toilet while his right hand stroked and rubbed the engorged organ. He imagined Olivia, naked, on her knees in front of him. She glanced up at him with a coy smile before she gave him a hearty lick from base to tip. In his mind, he pictured her running the tip of her pink tongue along her own lips before telling him just what she was going to do to him. Daryl's breath hitched as his hand pulled on his cock, slowly, from base to tip, rubbing his thumb around on the tip, spreading the drop of moisture that oozed from the opening. Grunting, he slowly repeated the same motion again and again, until he fisted his shaft and began pumping it in desperation, seeking his sweet release from the torturous pressure that built to agonizing levels. His breath grew erratic and wild. Daryl squeezed his eyes so tightly that he may never be able to open them again. His lungs greedily drew in air, he held his breath for a second and then suddenly he groaned out his release, erupting into the toilet and grunting like a wild animal. Some of the viscous and sticky fluid also coated his hand, sliding down like red hot lava on the side of a volcano.

Daryl panted, feeling himself calming down, his heartbeat returning to normal. He ripped off a length of toilet paper to clean his softening member and then he washed his hands before drying them on a nearby towel. Blowing out a breath, he opened the door to walk back out into the bedroom.

As soon as he stepped out, he was met by Godiva, who sat on her haunches, staring up at him with her head cocked to the side, a quizzical expression on her face.

"What?" Daryl asked as he eyed the pup. No answer. Not that he expected one. "Keep it 'tween us, al'ight?"

Godiva continued to watch him for a moment, her tongue lolling out the side of her mouth.

"Shit," Daryl grumbled, after he realized his sleeveless shirt was still downstairs where he left it. Olivia had seen his back before, when she examined his body for wounds and last night when they were at the lake. Now, there was sunlight streaming in from the windows, as if a spotlight shone on his scars, announcing them to the world. He wasn't sure if he was prepared for that.

Daryl made his way towards the stairs, descending them, with Godiva taking off after him. He stopped in the living room to pull on his sleeveless shirt before entering the kitchen. Two glasses of orange juice had already been set out. Godiva skipped over to her food bowl and began to wolf down her own breakfast, while her tail wagged about.

Olivia brought over their plates, each one had toast and scrambled eggs. "This okay, right?"

"Yeah, that's good," Daryl assured her as he sat down. "Thanks."

They shared a quiet breakfast, glancing and smiling at each other, before Daryl went out the door to his truck, grabbing his now-dry boxers from the chair on the porch. He made sure to give Olivia a light kiss before he left.

While he was gone, Olivia cleaned up the kitchen after breakfast. A smile spread across her face as she thought about last night. She could almost still feel her belly clenching as she remembered the way Daryl made her feel. Even her toes tingled.

Daryl was gentle as he returned her kisses and initiated some of his own. His lips nibbled along her jawline, hesitantly at first, seemingly unsure if she would like it. Olivia couldn't help the moan that left her lips. His hands stroked her back, over her shirt, and she nearly died when Daryl caressed the side of her face with his calloused fingers. He was such a sweet man.

With a blush, Olivia recalled the extra wetness that appeared on her swim bottoms when she changed and on her panties as well from their late-night make-out session. Though she was inexperienced, she was well-read enough to know that the fluids were from sexual arousal. Reading about it and experiencing it were two completely different things.

Glancing at the clock, she figured she had plenty of time before Daryl returned. Olivia logged into her computer to check her emails. There were some forwarded jokes from both Anna and Praew and a message that promised to give her an extra 4 inches. Nessie sent a picture of herself with her new boyfriend, the stockbroker. They looked really happy together; in the photo, Nessie had the widest grin she'd ever seen on her. She looked forward to meeting him later. The sisters talked about Olivia hosting Thanksgiving this year, while Sammy would host Christmas.

Sparing a second glance at the time, Olivia logged off and shut down before sprinting upstairs to shower and change into something suitable for her trek into the woods. Olivia opted to put her hair up into a ponytail, to keep it off her face. After throwing on skinny jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt, she grabbed her tall hiking boots from the closet and made her way downstairs.

Godiva followed her around and jumped up several times excitedly, somehow knowing that Olivia was going outdoors. _Maybe it's the hiking boots,_ she thought as she glanced at them. _Smart doggie!_ She smiled at her dog, "We're going in the woods, sweetie, how about that?" The young pup jumped up and dropped her paws on Olivia's legs, barking once. Olivia laughed and scratched behind Godiva's ears.

* * *

Daryl pushed the front door of his house open and shut the door after himself, tossing his keys onto the side table nearby. On the way in, he had caught sight of Merle's Triumph parked out front and he gritted his teeth, mentally preparing himself for all the bullshit that was sure to come his way.

"Whoa, ho, ho, liddol brother," Merle called out loudly from the living room. "Where t'fuck have ya been? Figured ya were at Ricky's but ya never came home. All them years I spent makin' a man outta ya….finally got some pussy?"

"Ain't got time fer yer shit," Daryl stated. "Gonna head out." Daryl strode into the bathroom for a speedy shower and then ambled to the bedroom and changed into a fresh pair of boxers and pants, slipping on sleeveless shirt. He grabbed up his crossbow and bolts, throwing the strap of the weapon over his shoulder.

The older Dixon eyed the crossbow strapped to Daryl's back. "Ya goin' huntin', Darylina? We ain't been huntin' in awhile, not since I got out," Merle hinted.

Daryl grunted in annoyance. The last thing he needed was for Merle to tag along with them. He still wasn't sure about Olivia meeting Merle. Daryl managed to prevent Merle from coming with him so far to the woods on her property, but he wasn't sure he could continue to keep it up. Merle enjoyed hunting as much as he did. Daryl was ashamed of his family and Merle was an embarrassment. Daryl was realistic. His brother was an asshole who couldn't or wouldn't control his mouth. Olivia was the best thing that ever happened to him and he didn't want Merle to scare her off. He was terrified that she'd come to her senses and leave him.

"Nah, we'll go next time. Not today," Daryl responded as he headed towards the front door, grabbing up his keys. He never noticed the flash of anger that appeared across Merle's weathered countenance.

"Ya goin' huntin' wit' her, ain't ya? Spendin' all yer time wit' her. Finally got some pussy 'n ya forget all 'bout ol' Merle here."

"Ain't like that, Merle."

"She ain't yer kin, yer blood, baby brother. Only one ta ever care 'bout ya is Merle."

When Daryl didn't respond, Merle reminded him, "Taught ya not ta get too attached ta pussy, Darylina. Women are only good for cookin', cleanin', 'n wettin' your dick."

Daryl sighed in frustration. _Fuck._ "Said it ain't like that. Gotta go, Merle. Imma be back later."

With a hard click, Daryl shut the door behind him, leaving Merle alone with his thoughts.

His jaw tensed as he mulled over what just happened. _Liddol brother's been spendin' more_ _time with that doctor bitch. _Merle was never one to take things lying down. Daryl needed him. Merle was the only one who would love him, no one else. He was going to get to the bottom of this, even if it was the last thing he did. The woman was fucking with his brother's mind. _He_ _was always the sweet one_. Merle was not. He knew how world really worked.

Grabbing his boots, he shoved them onto his feet before picking up his keys from the table. Merle quickly threw his helmet on and hopped onto the seat of his motorcycle, bringing up the kickstand, and then started up the bike. The vintage motorcycle roared to life, the seat thundering under him. He took off, headed to the woods, certain he would find Daryl hunting on her property. _Guess I ain't invited_, he thought to himself. _They's in fer a surprise._

While he rode, Merle thought back to the past few weeks. His baby brother had spent most of his free time with that whore. For the life of him, he still couldn't figure out what her game was. Why she wanted to spend time with Daryl. Merle heard the gossip from the townsfolk. Everyone spoke about how nice Old Lady Sullivan's granddaughters were, how they used to model. _Shit…what would a fashion model want with redneck trash like a Dixon_, Merle thought, frowning. _Girl's been all over t'world, why come ta some backwoods town?_

* * *

Godiva happily sniffed the ground as she carefully loped alongside Daryl and Olivia. The pup was overjoyed at being outdoors, frolicking in the fresh air and having the chance to investigate all the noises and scents that surrounded her. Daryl had trained her well and she no longer needed a leash; obeying his commands easily. The pup was intelligent, a quick learner and eager to please. Holding his hand up, the dog paused mid-step, watching him intently while waiting on further instructions.

Daryl knelt, to inspect the faint marks that were visible on the ground. Turning to Olivia, he questioned her. "Whatcha make a this, girl?"

Olivia squinted as she tried to study the obscure clues left in the dirt. She bit her lip in concentration. "Doesn't look like a deer….not like an upside down heart with two dots," she started.

Daryl nodded, encouraging her to go on.

Taking another minute to focus and recall what she had in her mind, her face suddenly broke out into a wide grin. "I know! Rabbit!" Her expression was smug as Daryl regarded her. "There are two parallel prints, and then one behind those, and one more in the back," she reasoned.

Giving her a tiny smile, Daryl nodded once more; impressed that she remembered what he taught her.

"Damn, pretty soon yer not gonna need me no more," he teased.

Olivia beamed up at him. "I'll always need you, Daryl," she stated, blushing slightly.

A flush of pink bloomed across Daryl's cheeks. _Swear to fuckin' God….the way she looks at me_ _sometimes_, he thought. Warmth spread throughout his heart as he gazed at the girl standing before him. He leaned in a little closer, longing to taste her lips again.

"Well, well, liddol brother," a voice rasped out behind them.

Daryl spun around, glaring at the source.

Merle stepped out from behind a tree, giving one appreciative whistle aimed at Olivia while his curious eyes swept appraisingly over her form. "Darylina here never told me what a knock-out you were, Sugar Ti-."

"Merle! Shut the fuck up!" Daryl shouted, chest heaving in agitation, fists clenched at his sides. His cheeks flared, redness colored them from embarrassment. Daryl felt helpless and powerless, not knowing how to control the situation. Air shot out of his flaring nostrils repeatedly as he tried to calm himself down.

"Hello, Merle," Olivia started, her voice firm and unwavering, not quite knowing what to say, having been surprised. "Pleased to meet you. My name is Olivia. Please use that for my name."

Her own eyes ran over the man standing next to Daryl, evaluating the man who was his brother. Merle was about the same height, but perhaps with a few extra pounds over Daryl. The brothers shared the same eyes, that wondrous cerulean blue, though Daryl's set were narrower. Merle was pretty much free of facial hair, except for the stubble that ran over his chin and cheeks. The buzz cut suited him. He had an air of authority or something about him. Someone who never took any crap from anyone. Someone who did not care.

"Polite 'n feisty at the same time. Ya wild in the sack wit' ma liddol brother here?" Merle inquired, hoping to embarrass the girl, to show his control over the situation.

"Don't see how any of that is your concern," Olivia retorted, her face neutral.

Merle was slightly disappointed that he didn't get a rise out of her. Usually, women either wanted to fuck him or they would get so riled up from his comments. But the girl was not agitated in the least; they could have been discussing the weather.

"Whaddya want, Merle?" Daryl gritted through his teeth.

The older Dixon brother surveyed the scene around him. Daryl was standing next to his girl, both of them watching him, though Daryl's look was less than friendly. Even the damn dog was staring at him. _Daryl musta trained it to be quiet_, Merle thought, impressed. He knew Daryl was good with animals. Merle squirmed in place, not sure what he should do now. Anger flared in his heart at the way he was left behind. He felt like he didn't belong here, that he was the intruder upon this cozy little scene.

Olivia studied Merle and the way he held himself. He loved Daryl, that much was apparent. The older man just didn't know how to express it. She knew their parents were not kind and loving people, based on what Daryl divulged from time to time. It was a topic he did not enjoy and she understood why.

Suddenly, Olivia had a disturbing thought. _Maybe he feels left out. _ She realized with embarrassment that she never extended an invitation to Merle. Like Daryl, he was an avid hunter, and would appreciate the woods on her property. _Gran would have a fit if she knew_ _how rude I have been_, she thought. Her grandmother taught the girls to be considerate of everyone, even those who have been rude first. To give people a chance. To look beyond the surface. Gran's voice popped into her head, '_The ones who are the hardest to_ _love are the ones who need it the most.'_

Olivia spoke first. "I'm sorry, Merle. I had not thought of inviting you to hunt here. I didn't mean to leave you out," she said sincerely.

_T'fuck?_ For once in his fifty-some years of life, Merle Dixon was rendered utterly speechless as he gaped at the woman in front of him. Nobody ever apologized to a piece-of-shit Dixon, especially him.

Even Daryl was dumbstruck, standing there staring at her.

Recovering quickly, Merle grunted out, "Mmm-hmm, ya best not do it 'gain."

* * *

The rest of the hunting trip was somewhat awkward. Every now and then, Merle scowled at Olivia, suspicious of her motives.

Daryl was tense. She was able to see it in the way his shoulders bunched up and how he carried himself.

When Merle turned his head to look the other way, the young woman reached out and rubbed circles on Daryl's lower back, feeling him relax almost instantly. She quickly removed her arm, thinking that Daryl didn't want his brother to witness anything like that.

What they didn't know was that Merle did see what they were trying to hide. He caught the glances and tiny smiles that Olivia gave to Daryl, seeing his own brother return a look here and there. Unbeknownst to either person, Merle had been studying them and the way they behaved. He saw the look on that woman's face every time her eyes met Daryl's. The way the younger Dixon's eyes lit up whenever she met his gaze.

_What t'fuck is goin' on here?_ Merle thought to himself. _Damn girl must be up ta something._ Merle would not rest until he found out what.

**Author's Note:**

**Hope you liked this chappie. I swear Merle is THE hardest character to write…..I didn't want him to be too nasty, but still be Merle. Protective of Daryl. He loves him. In his own way.**

**Hope the little bit of smut (self-smut) from our favorite redneck was a satisfying appetizer for the main course that is coming soon. Heheheheh.**

**Thank you for all the new reviews, follows, and faves! You guys are all awesome!**

**Very excited for the new episode tonight! Finally saw last Sunday's ep yesterday, so I'm all caught up! Yaaaaay!**


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